For the Love of an Angel
by Ninja Mage
Summary: COMPLETE We were lonely. He never knew me. I knew him, but only in my mind. A villain for a classic game. I thought he was the only man left I could love if only he actually existed. One day he showed up on my doorstep.SephXOCOC POVCloud bash PG13 Ch5
1. The Beginning

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Chapter 1:

The Beginning

My name is Michiko. My eyes are grey and my hair is black. I was born in a settlement named Gadar on the planet Jahan. I have had an unusual experience; one I doubt any others have had or ever will have.

You see, I thought he was a character created for a game. I thought he existed only in my imagination. My life was changed forever because of him.

This is my story. No, not mine alone.

This is _our_ story…

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I was a young woman of twenty-seven when it all began. I had started my first job one year before. I worked as an animator for advertising, using realistic graphics in commercials, thus eliminating the need for actors. I had let my vacation days build up since then. I worked most weekends. On the anniversary of my first day, my boss called me into his office.

"Michiko, I want you to take a nice, long vacation."

"Please, sir, if I may," I stuttered. "I've only worked here for one year. Please, do not fire me."

"Of course not! I've watched how hard and long you work. I have also noted that you have taken no sick days or vacation."

"Yes sir."

"Take the next four weeks off with pay. You could use it. You're too young and pretty to work this much. Go out with your boyfriend, maybe get it going on, if you know what I mean."

"Please sir, don't," I whispered shamefully. "I have no man in my life. You and my co-workers are the only ones."

"Pity. Well, why don't you go out and meet somebody?"

"There is no one in this place," I muttered. I turned to leave.

"You're telling me that you've got no one to go home to, or cuddle up to on a cold night?" my boss asked. I turned to face him and forced a smile.

"Not for a long time now. Good night, sir."

No sooner had I gotten back to my office to prepare to leave than I began crying. My lover of three years had been killed in the war five years ago. I had received a package of his belongings. Among them were a diamond ring and a letter to me. It said:

Dearest Michiko,

If you are reading this, then it means I have left this world. I am terribly sorry. Among my belongings, you will find an engagement ring. Please give it to a woman named Neha. She is in your graphics class. I bought it from a merchant here in Cadfan. Why am I not giving it to you? I wish I could tell you in person. After we moved in together, the romance left. I no longer enjoyed bedding with you. Remember the party we went to for spring break? I met her there. I left early with her, if you recall. I said I was taking her home, because she was feeling ill and was unable to contact her ride. What you don't know is that we rented a hotel room for the night. I felt stronger for her. This must be paining you. Please, as my last request, give this ring to her for me. I love her.

Prem

I was never so upset and heartbroken as when I received that letter. I later learned from his friends that he was making love to other women, not just Neha and I. She never got the ring. I had it melted down at the blacksmith's. Somebody now owns a sword with bits of gold and diamond in it. I never trusted another man. I moved out of his house and into a cabin in the woods. I lived there in solitude for the next five years, planning never to wed or fall in love again. I had no pets or family, for neither of my parents had siblings, and they had both died. Then again, nobody on our planet had siblings.

Perhaps I should explain. We humans used to live on a planet called Earth until about three hundred years ago, when the planet suffered heavy overpopulation. The governments of the countries decided to join together and send the families with one or no children to a newly discovered planet. One-quarter of the population left. This was not enough to relieve the planet, so the single adults that were capable of having children and wanted to have them were sent to this new world, as well. This relieved the planet for a while. Three years later, Earth was destroyed. Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, blizzards, and volcano eruptions, among many other catastrophes, ended the world. Every living thing on the planet died. It lies quiet now. No life will ever again live on the world. To prevent overpopulation here on Jahan, every couple is allowed only one child. The only exception is twins, but even then one couple must agree to forgo the miracle of birth. We use renewable resources, and if one person contributes to pollution, he is locked up. We use swords, bows and arrows, daggers, and other medieval weapons for protection. We are trying to preserve this planet. We do not want this one to end as Earth did.

The war Prem died in was a battle between humans and the aliens that live on this planet. They were discovered living in caves fifty years after humans arrived, and refused to share the land. The two races fought for two hundred and forty five years before the aliens surrendered five years ago. The survivors now act as our slaves. Each household contains a male and female. If they have children, the young ones are sold. When the elder servants die, new ones are sold to replace them. I have one. His wife died when she was discovered to be pregnant. It was a time when they were beginning to grow in numbers, and officials killed any pregnant females until the numbers were down again. They feared that the aliens would overrun us. I have never bought another. When my current one dies, I am buying no replacement. I am one of the few humans that feel sorry for them.

Anyway, back to my story. I wiped my eyes and packed my case. I locked my door as I left for a whole month.

"Madam, what might I be able to do for you?" Therapon asked me as I entered the house a few minutes later.

I looked him over. He was about four feet tall with green skin. His eyes were blue, and his arms ended in three slim fingers. He had no mouth, so he talked through telepathy. He had been given a robe to wear, but he didn't wear one all the time. The aliens were somewhat humanoid, but could not wear our normal clothing. They usually wore nothing, but the government had issued an order that it was 'indecent exposure.' They give robes to each slave when they are born. I allow my slave to go without clothes whenever he pleases. I have gotten used to it. My beliefs have always been that if a creature is living, it has the right to follow the ancient traditions of its race. The leaders of this world cannot see that. I only make him wear his robe when I have visitors or soldiers are coming to check up on me. They come around every once in a while to the isolated homes. My servant wears one because he wants to. Coincidentally, this one was in the war and he was the one that killed Prem. When I found out, I told him that it was fine, and I forgave him. In reality, I was not angry about it, especially after I discovered that he cheated.

"Not tonight, thank you," I smiled. I am gentler with the creatures than most people. My friends often look at me strangely when I am polite to their servants. "I will not be going to work for the next month. I have been given orders to take a vacation."

"Very well, milady. Here, allow me to massage your feet. You look so tired," he said. He began rubbing my feet.

"Thank you, Therapon," I muttered. I leaned back in my chair and did not move until he stood hurriedly. "What is wrong?"

"I am so sorry for putting that there. Again. I must go prepare your dinner."

I began to laugh a little. He was always trying to get at me. It was not uncommon for servants to fall for their masters of the opposite sex, particularly if both were unattached. I had gotten used to these antics, although most people would usually beat the crap out of the servants or kill them. Fortunately, our races cannot interbreed. I found these situations rather amusing, and have often been forced to hide my giggles when it happens at a friend's home. I looked down at my skirt and, sure enough, it was halfway up my thighs. I stood and pulled it back to just below my knees as Therapon waddled back in. Their feet were close together, so they greatly resembled penguins in their gait. Penguins were birds that lived in the coldest corners of the Earth. The looked like they wore tuxedos, but could not fly. They died out with the Earth.

"Dinner is served, madam."

"Thank you."

I ate my dinner quietly. I finished quickly, took a shower, and went to bed. I locked my door and windows, as always. I was always fearful of burglars and hostile extraterrestrials roaming about. I played a little of my favorite game, _Final Fantasy VII._ An hour later, I fell into slumber not two minutes after my head hit the pillow.

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I awoke early the next morning, which was odd. It was just beginning to break dawn, and not even Therapon was awake. I wrapped my blanket around me, slid my slippers on my feet, and walked outside.

"My, is it cold."

Fog covered the ground a few yards away from my house. I breathed the morning air in deeply. It was a few minutes before I looked up at the sky.

"What the heck?"

A large grid was glowing high in the sky half a mile away. Several seconds passed before a beam of light shot at the ground. My first thought was that the aliens got hold of our technology and were waging a new war. The beam landed just beyond my line of sight. The grid disappeared, and I could make out the form of a man where the beam had landed. He stood and walked backwards out of the fog shakily. He seemed very weak. I watched another grid form, but instead of a beam, it sent a cloud of green bats after the man. He looked at them in despair.

"Hey, you! Over here!" I called to the stranger. I didn't know what I was thinking, but he followed my cry.

He stumbled on the steps and fell into my arms. His long, silver hair gleamed in the growing sunlight. I realized then that he had fainted. I dragged him inside and shut the door tightly, listening as the bats hit the door. I looked at them, and saw that they disappeared in a cloud of smoke when they made contact. I refused to move until they were all gone. When they were gone, I knelt by the silver-haired man. I brushed back his bangs and gasped. I checked the booklet that came with the _Final Fantasy VII_ game to make sure it was him. I woke Therapon and he helped me lay the man in my bed. I removed his clothes so Therapon could repair his wounds. I gazed in disbelief as we left the room to let him rest.

"Sephiroth…"

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Ah, Sephiroth. The best villain of all time. Ahem. This is my second story on fan fiction. Please read! I hope it's okay. Just so everyone knows, Michiko is **_NOT_** based on me. I do **_NOT_** want reviews asking about that. If I get some things wrong about Sephiroth, it's probably because I haven't finished FFVII yet (scratched, used disc= crappiness). Please don't flame me for mistakes!

NINJA MAGE


	2. The Awakening

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Chapter 2:

The Awakening

I waited until that afternoon to check on Sephiroth. I was shocked that he was lying right in my own house. In my own bed, too. Shortly after lunch, I went into my room with a cold, wet cloth. I knelt by the bed and gently wiped his face. Therapon had said he was feverish, so I figured this would help. Shortly after the cloth touched his skin, Sephiroth moaned and began to move. He opened his eyes slowly, revealing them to be bright green.

"Where…?" he moaned.

"Just lie back," I whispered to him soothingly. He smiled a little as I wiped his neck and shoulders. "My name is Michiko. I'll take care of you, Sephiroth."

"How did you know my name?" he asked as his eyes opened a little more. He leered at me suspiciously. I suddenly became very frightened.

"You're a popular figure here. I'll show you," I replied. I left and returned with the game. I flipped open to the page with his picture. "See?"

He took the booklet with shaky hands and looked at his drawn reflection. The pictures do not do Sephiroth justice, if I do say so myself.

"How did I end up here?" he snapped, throwing the book aside.

"I don't know. I saw a grid in the sky that shot a light by my house. You appeared the next moment. A cloud of green bats came after you. I called for you to come here, you tripped on the steps, and you fell unconscious. My servant healed your wounds only seven hours ago."

"No wonder I feel so weak."

"When you feel stronger, you can get up. I'll be sure to have something for you to eat. I imagine you're hungry."

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It was hours before we spoke again. I had just started on my dinner when a creak by my room caused me to turn around. Sephiroth walked towards me slowly. I had to suppress a gasp at his muscles. He had chosen to put on only his pants. I had seen him at the end of the game, but he looked better in person. I smiled at him.

"Please, sit. Therapon, please fix a meal for our guest."

"Yes, ma'am," he bowed. I've told him a million times not to, but he insists. Sephiroth gazed at him with a shocked look.

"He doesn't bite. Please, sit," I repeated. He slid next to me and stared at the table.

"What did you say your name was?" he muttered after a long silence.

"Michiko."

"Michiko," he sighed. He closed his eyes and refused to look at me. "Thank you. You know, for taking me in and feeding me. I was far too weak to fight those monsters."

"Please, thanks are not necessary," I smiled. I laid a hand on his arm. He shivered slightly at the touch. "I did what I felt was right."

"Dinner, sir," Therapon said, putting a plate in front of Sephiroth. He began to eat slowly, almost as if he didn't trust me to not poison the food.

"Your servant," Sephiroth began. "What is he?"

"He's a species called Xenos," I explained. I then told him of how the humans were forced to move from Earth to Jahan. He listened silently. He looked at me for the first time since he first awoke.

"I tried to destroy my planet. I was destroyed, but only temporarily. When Cloud discovered that I was still alive, he began a search for me. I was being chased by bats made from the Lifestream. I also remember that I found a portal. I suspected that it would help me escape, so I leapt in. I was terribly weakened during the journey. My consciousness was nearly gone when I arrived here. All I know is I heard a voice calling me. I followed it, and blacked out. When I woke up, you were wiping my face."

"We need to find out how to get you back. Until then, you can stay here. But please, do not leave the house," I begged. "The government will want to study you if they find you. I can talk to my friend, Anima. She knows a lot about science. Maybe she'll think of something."

"Won't she want to study me?"

"No way. She likes the Final Fantasy games even more than I do. She'd want to keep you safe."

"When can we talk to her?" Sephiroth asked as Therapon cleared our dishes.

"I'll try tomorrow."

"Good. Where am I to sleep?"

"You can stay in our guest room," I said as we rose. He looked me in the eyes, almost as if he were looking for something in them. I wanted to look away. His eyes were so beautiful, they scared me. I found that I couldn't turn away, no matter what.

"Thank you again. I shall go to bed. I need the sleep," he turned to go to the room that Therapon directed his attention to. At the doorway, he stopped. "Good night."

"Sweet dreams," I whispered. I crawled into my bed a few minutes later. I laid there for a long time.

"I can't be falling for him. He's going to leave soon. I can't have feelings for him. I swore I would never love another man. But…" I smiled to myself. "Under that evil shell, I know he's good. I never thought he could be that cute. I can't feel like this. He will never love me. I have to hide these feelings before I get in trouble. Still, it would be nice… to see him…"

I fell asleep to beautiful thoughts of us together.

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"How did you sleep?" I asked him the next morning.

"Fine," Sephiroth returned as he chewed his eggs. I was finished, so I occupied my time with watching him eat. When he finished, he realized that I was what I was doing. "Is something wrong?"

"No, of course not," I replied hurriedly. "I called Anima. She said for us to go over there at ten this morning."

"Both of us?"

"Yes. Which means…" I trailed off as I stood. I dug around in a drawer and pulled out a pair of scissors. "We cut your hair."

"NO!" he snapped, covering his head with his arms automatically. I stifled a giggle.

"Sephiroth, we have to disguise you in some way. No one has seen you with short hair. You'll also have to wear sunglasses. Therapon has gone to but you some clothes."

"If it will keep Cloud from recognizing me, should he arrive here, then I will do it," Sephiroth sighed in a defeated tone.

Twenty minutes later, I was standing behind Sephiroth, locks of wet, silver hair piling around me.

"How does it look?" I asked as I held a mirror in front of him. His hair was just below his shoulders. "I made your bangs and hair the same length."

"Looks fine," he muttered sadly. Therapon walked in.

"Now, put on these clothes and we can leave."

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We walked into Anima's home a while later. She was busy working at her computer as usual. Her boyfriend, Luben, answered the door.

"Miss Michiko! What a pleasure!" he cried. Luben had long bluish hair that he gelled in different styles every day. Today, he sported a long ponytail that needed no tie. He had a single bang that was always gelled to the front. He usually wore black slacks and a blue tee shirt, but now he only wore a pair of black sweatpants. He had two tiger tattoos on his chest, each one a mirror image of the other. I think they're one reason Anima fell for him. She was always talking about how cool they were. "Anima's in her study. This way."

When we entered, Anima continued to sit, reading over seemingly important information on her large screen. Final Fantasy statues were adorning the shelves. Sephiroth became most interested in one of him. I noted several statues of her favorite character, Seymour, from number ten. That's the other reason I think she likes Luben so much. He looks a lot like Seymour. For some reason, she seems to have a thing for villains. I snuck up behind her and hissed in her ear evilly.

"Hello, Anima…"

"Hey, Michiko. So where is…" she trailed off when she saw Sephiroth. She went into a frenzy when she realized what I did. "You cut his hair! YOU CUT HIS FREAKIN' HAIR! _You cut his hair!_ How could you?"

"It was to disguise him. We're not the only Final Fantasy freaks, you know."

"Good idea, I guess. Here, let me take a look at you," she ordered as she dragged him to a chair. I watched as she yanked off his glasses and looked him over. Anima had long brown hair that she always kept in a braid, ponytail, or tied back with a hair glove. Her brown eyes were like chocolate, but they were often shielded by her glasses. She and Luben made an unusual match. She barely came to his shoulders, and he was about six feet and she was just over five. They shared the same views about slaves as me, and sold theirs when they moved in together. The only thing stopping me from selling Therapon is the fact that I have lived alone so long. After her inspection, Anima turned to me. "Definitely Sephiroth. Now, tell me exactly how you got here and the events right before."

We told her once more what he was doing here. When we finished, Anima sat deep in thought. After a while, she went back to her computer and fed the information into it, plus more that I guess she concluded from our information. A long page of information popped up a few seconds later.

"What you found was a dimensional portal. When somebody creates a new storyline for a book, movie, game, or anything in general, a new dimension is formed that follows that storyline and any connected to it afterwards. It seems that what Sephiroth found was a portal into our dimension and this was the planet it landed on."

"So, where is it in this world?" Sephiroth asked impatiently.

"It should appear right where you arrived," Anima answered simply. My first thought was, _No, he can't leave this soon._ Her next statement eased my thoughts. "Unfortunately, you won't be able to open it for at least a month."

"Why?" I asked. She sighed.

"What you found is called an Ananta. It's a portal that shows up once every few months. Actually, for all you know, you could have been stuck in there several days. Our month for the portal just came, but your world's portal could have opened weeks, maybe months ago. Anyone that goes inside stays there until another portal opens."

"I guess your stuck here for awhile then, huh?" Luben pointed out.

"Yes. But that means I am safe here, right?" Sephiroth expressed hopefully. "Cloud can not come after me if the portal is not open."

"True, but there are multiple portals that can show up on a world," Anima explained as she continued to read. "For all we know, Cloud could've found another one on your world and arrived elsewhere on this one. All we can do is wait and see if he finds you."

"Great," I sighed. Sank into a chair next to Sephiroth. "If he does come after you, I'll help fight. I'm rather proficient with a bow and arrow. If he comes, I'll help chase him away."

"Why would you want to help me?" Sephiroth looked at me oddly. "I am evil. You know that."

"Well," I began, trying to find a good excuse.

"I you're ever going to return to your world, you need to stay alive," Luben finished.

"Exactly," I agreed. I was thankful that Luben intervened. I didn't want to admit why I wanted to help him. I couldn't bring myself to say the three words that could change me forever. Not yet.

"If he shows up, give us a shout and we'll show up. We can both wield swords very well," Anima added.

"Thank you. Your help is appreciated," I smiled. I turned to Luben. "Can you run any scans to find out if he has come here?"

"I can certainly try," he agreed. Luben was a whiz when it came to scanning the world. "I need his blood type and any identifying marks."

"His blood type is AB," Sephiroth said. "I remember that I gave him a scar that reached from the left side of his chest to his right hip when he defeated me the first time."

"Hon, let me get at the computer."

"Sure," Anima stood and leaned thoughtfully against the wall.

"It may be a few hours. This planet is smaller than Earth, but not by much," Luben told us as his fingers flew across the keyboard. "I'll call you if I find anything."

"Sounds good. Sephiroth, I think we should be going now," I looked at him and he nodded in reply.

"It was a pleasure meeting you sir," Anima grinned. "I promise that your secret is safe with me."

"I'll talk to you soon," I said. The two of us walked out of the house to return to my home.

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Yes, I cut his hair. Anima is based on one of my friends that I know loves Final Fantasy, NOT the Aeon in FFX. I want to comment on the grid to help visualize: The grid in the sky that Sephiroth pops out of is the one from Kingdom Hearts. Also, to the person that is Anima, please don't shoot me for giving you a boyfriend. At least he resembles Seymour… For those of you that don't know, a hair glove is something that motorcyclists tie their hair back with. It has some sort of hook in it to keep hair in place.

NINJA MAGE


	3. The Strangers

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Chapter 3:

The Strangers

I was overwhelmed when we returned to my house. Other dimensions? Portals to them? It was so much to take in. The sight of my home didn't help, either.

"What happened here?" Sephiroth said in surprise. We had walked through the door to find the floor smattered with green substances. I realized upon closer inspection that it was blood. Xenos blood, to be more accurate. It was the first time I wished I knew better than to leave my door unlocked when I left the dwelling. We found Therapon sprawled across my chair, blood oozing from several gashes.

"What happened?" I asked him.

"Lady Michiko," he gasped weakly. "He came while you were gone! He's still in the house!"

"Who?" Sephiroth demanded.

"He's looking… for…" Therapon stopped in the middle of the sentence before he began another. "His name… is…"

"Answer me! Who came? Answer the question, damn it!" Sephiroth grabbed Therapon by the shoulders and shook him. My servant's eyes rolled back into his head and his breathing stopped. "Give me the answer! Damn you!"

"Sephiroth, stop," I whispered. "He's dead."

"Who do you think it was?" Sephiroth sighed as he let go of the alien's limp body.

"I don't know," I shook my head as the phone rang. I picked it up shakily. "Hello?"

"Michiko, thank god, you're okay," Anima said. She sounded worried. "We found Cloud. He's near your house."

"No," I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand. "I think he was in here. He killed Therapon."

"We'll be there soon."

"No. Listen, I want you and Luben to gather some clothes, food, money, a laptop, and your swords. I want you to meet us at the lake."

"We-" Silence followed.

"Anima? Anima, are you there? My god, Anima! This isn't funny!" I began to panic.

"Michiko…" Sephiroth laid a hand on my shoulder and directed my attention to the phone line outside. The phone landed with a crack when I dropped it. The wires were sliced in half. "Get everything you told Anima to gather and your bow and arrows. We need to leave now. He knows we're here."

Sephiroth didn't need to tell me twice. It took only five minutes for me to gather my supplies. I also managed to fit into my clothes that I used for the gym and archery practice. My normal clothes were not going to cut it.

"Ready?" Sephiroth asked as I tied back my hair.

"I guess," I sighed. "Sephiroth?"

"Yeah?"

"Whatever happens between now and when we find the portal, I want you to know that…" I struggled to get the words out, but the three little words just wouldn't come.

"What should I know?" he asked as he laid a hand on my cheek. "You can tell me anything. What is it?"

"I wanted to tell you that I think I'm-"

"Oh, this is precious."

"Show yourself!" Sephiroth lashed out. He had Masamune out in a second. It was the first time I saw it. I, too, prepared my weapon, although it seemed powerless compared to the grand sword. A man with overly-spiked blonde hair, a red cape, and a large sword wrapped in tape leapt down from a nearby tree. He ran his fingers through his hair, revealing that one hand was an artificial claw.

"So, I've found you at last. You escaped me once, but not again. Prepare yourself," he challenged. He held his sword horizontally above his head. Without thinking, I slammed the door shut and began dragging Sephiroth to the basement.

"I have a hidden passage to the outside in the basement. We can get out through there," I said in a voice that wasn't even a whisper. I could hear Cloud banging and taunting us at the front door.

"Come on, tough guy. Lets finish this. Not that it matters. I know that you're going to the lake."

"We're not," I mouthed to Sephiroth when he looked at me worriedly. "That's our code for the cave that lies just between our properties. The lake is in the opposite direction."

I think Cloud finally burst through the door, but we were long gone, so I don't know for sure. We hurried to the cave.

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"They should be here soon," I muttered. It was cold in the cave. I shivered greatly.

"Here," Sephiroth handed me his cloak. "You need it more than I do."

"No, you keep it. You have less clothes under it than me."

"I can withstand the cold. Take the cloak," he insisted.

Before I could argue further, he was wrapping the garment around my shoulders. I was amazed at how much larger he was than me. We sat down, and Sephiroth wrapped his arms around me for warmth. I was soon dozing to the sound of his heartbeat. I don't know how long it was, but I didn't wake up until Anima and Luben arrived. We heard rustling outside, and we were suddenly alert. Weapons drawn, we waited until the ones making the noise showed themselves. Anima and Luben suddenly burst into the cave, swords at the ready.

"Thank god you made it. We narrowly avoided Cloud," I smiled. I then told them why we were cut off on the phone and what happened between then and now.

"I say we camp out here tonight," Anima suggested. "Cloud obviously doesn't know about this place. If he does, we can take the tunnel to the lake and run from there."

"I agree. Anyone object?" I looked around at the group.

Nobody made objections, so we made a fire, had some food, set out our blankets and laid down to sleep. Sephiroth decided to stay awake and keep watch for the first half of the night. I was to go next. We decided that Luben and Anima would take turns the next night. I laid on the floor, watching Sephiroth and shivering for at least an hour. Sephiroth had taken back his cloak, and the fire was getting low, too. I had forgotten to grab another blanket, so I was stuck laying on my only one. Anima had brought a sleeping bag large enough for two, so she and Luben had no need to bring blankets. They were curled up tightly, Luben's arm around Anima's waist and grasping her shoulder. I eventually closed my eyes and tried to sleep. A few minutes later, the noise of boots walking across the ground and something heavy being placed on my body alerted me. I opened my eyes ever so slightly to find Sephiroth kneeling by me, wrapping his coat around me yet again. He gently touched my face.

"Thank you for being so kind. I hope to do something to repay you before I leave," he whispered. He then did something that made my skin crawl: Sephiroth kissed me with surprising gentleness on the forehead. His lips were softer and warmer than I thought they'd be. I watched him return to his post. I soon fell asleep in his warm garment, the kiss fresh in my mind and the last sight being that of moonlight shining on beautiful, silver hair.

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We set off early the next morning. I caught several flashes of red, but it was always a flower or animal. We stopped for nothing. We refused to give Cloud the chance to catch us. None of us knew where we were going. We simply ran wherever we could. Around midday, we slowed a little and Sephiroth voiced a thought that had worried me all through the night and all day.

"He probably knows that we didn't go anywhere near the lake."

"That's why we're going to double back," I sighed. "If he thinks we're going this way, then he won't expect us to go back. We walk until we reach the edge, then turn off the path into the heavy underbrush and make our way back to the lake."

"Why not take the path in the cave?" Sephiroth shrugged simply.

"If Cloud catches us, we won't have anywhere to run in the cave," Luben explained.

"At least we'll have a chance of escape in the woods," Anima finished. "Besides, there's a chance that Cloud will find the tunnel to the cave."

We walked in silence for the next half an hour. When we reached the edge of the forest, we ducked into the woods and headed back. Halfway there, we laid close to the ground. Five people were walking down the path, Cloud among them. As they came closer, I recognized Barret, Yuffie, Tifa and Vincent.

"Damn them," Cloud muttered. "They purposely led us on."

"We'll find them, Cloud. Don't worry," Tifa consoled him. Vincent walked in front of our hiding spot. Sephiroth tightened his grip on Masamune and glared at the vampire-like man.

"No," I said under my breath, laying a hand on his. "We'll deal with them later."

"Let's keep going," Vincent said quietly. "I don't like these woods."

"Fine. I think I see the edge of the woods," Yuffie pointed.

"I can't wait to get my hands on them," Barret smiled. They continued on. Vincent took one last look around. I swear he knew we were there. No, I don't swear. I know he knew. He looked right at me. We hurried on once they were out of sight.

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"Finally," I gasped when we reached the lake. I hadn't had time to fill my canteen with water, so I was parched. We all drank deeply and took a few minutes to rest. The sun was beginning to set.

"So, where to now?" Sephiroth asked as he splashed his feet in the water. He was just as tired as we were, which surprised me. He had shed his cloak two hours ago and it wasn't hot out, but his muscles still glimmered with sweat. We all had blisters on our feet.

"I'll run a scan on the planet. Maybe we'll get lucky and there'll be a portal somewhere," Luben said as he set up the laptop. "Now I know why you wanted us to bring it."

"I did some more reading on my other computer," Anima explained as her boyfriend worked. "There are some portals that can stay open for seconds, like the one you found. Then again, there are portals that stay open for minutes, days, even weeks. Some last for years. With luck, we'll locate one of the longer lasting ones."

"Good. We'll need some time to get to it," I sighed.

The three of us sat at the edge of the lake while Luben scanned. I finally stretched out on the rocks.

"Weapons ready!" Sephiroth yelled suddenly a few minutes later. We stood to find Barret and Yuffie facing us.

"Wait until we tell Cloud," Barret growled. He aimed at us with his gun-arm.

"He'll be so happy when we bring you to him alive," Yuffie grinned as she drew her Shurikens.

"Why not kill me now and get it over with?" Sephiroth taunted. We stood poised to attack. It was four against two. The odds were against them.

"And deny him the victory he's waited four years for?" Barret grinned.

"No more talk! Take this!" Yuffie called. She chucked the Shurikens at us. Fortunately, we knew it was coming and leapt away.

"Ah!" Sephiroth cried as he tackled her. He tried several times to slice through her, but Yuffie dodged each time. It was no wonder she was a master thief.

"Michiko, look out!" Anima screamed.

I had been so hypnotized by Sephiroth's technique that I never saw the assault coming. I aimed my bow while I turned, but I let go too late. Barret's bullet hit me in the breastplate just as the arrow flew at him. I had armor on, so it did no damage. Unfortunately, I fell backwards into the lake because of the force. I never had the chance to see where my arrow landed, but I somehow knew that no contact had been made. I hit the water so hard the surface tension knocked me out cold as I slipped under the water. I heard Barret gasp and Yuffie scream before I fell. I couldn't hear Anima or Luben, but I swear Sephiroth called to me.

"No! Michiko! Damn you, Barret! Damn you all!"

I knew nothing else.

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Cliffhanger! Sorry people, but somebody's going to die next chapter. You'll have to read on to find out who! Reviews are much appreciated!

NINJA MAGE


	4. The Meeting

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Chapter 4:

The Meeting

"One, two, three. Ah!"

"It's not working!"

"I'll try again! One, two, three. Ah!"

"Sephiroth, stop! She's gone!"

"No! She can't be gone! I won't accept that! One, two, three. Ah!"

My consciousness began to resurface, but not enough for my body to make any signs that I was alive. I don't know how long he was giving me CPR before I began to wake up. I could feel a breeze on my chest, along with slight pressure. It took a few seconds for me to realize that the pressure was Sephiroth's hand, and they had opened my shirt. I could feel his mouth on mine, breathing air into my lungs. I wished I could have returned the feeling. He was also… no… he couldn't have been crying.

"Michiko, please don't…" Sephiroth gasped. "One, two, three. Ah!"

"Sephiroth, stop. It's too late," I heard Anima repeat Luben's cry.

"No… One… Two… Three… Ah!"

With that last burst of air, enough oxygen was in my body for me to show signs of life. I began coughing violently.

"Michiko," Sephiroth whispered as he held my face in his hands. A few tears stained his face. "I knew you were going to live."

"We thought you would drown," Anima said. "Sephiroth knocked Yuffie over and dove in after you."

"How long has it been?" I asked weakly.

"About ten minutes from the time you went under to now," Luben whispered. I couldn't believe it was only ten minutes.

"What happened to Yuffie and Barret?" I muttered.

"Yuffie ran off. Barret… well, why don't you see for yourself?" Sephiroth sighed. I sat up and saw Barret sprawled on the ground. He was lying in a pool of blood. I could see that my arrow hadn't missed; it was sticking out of his chest, deep enough to pierce his heart and reach through to his back.

"My god," I gasped. "I killed a man…"

"You did it in self-defense," Anima pointed out. "Even though it was a few seconds late."

"Has the scan finished?" I turned to Luben.

"Yeah. There's one out in Kauko. It closes at midnight in three weeks," Luben explained. "I managed to get a reading of where it'll take anyone entering it. It will take Sephiroth directly to his planet."

"Three weeks. I guess we should head out," I said. I stood, but my legs were terribly weak. They gave out, causing me to fall into Sephiroth's arms.

"We camp in the cave tonight. You need to rest," he whispered soothingly.

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I felt like I was going to faint from heat exhaustion. They forced me to wrap up tightly in my blanket and sit so close to the fire, I felt like I was a candle. I finally convinced them that I was warm enough and we all went to bed. Luben took first watch that night. Anima tried to give Sephiroth and I her sleeping bag, but we refused. His cloak was enough for him, and my blanket was going to be enough for this night. Sephiroth was huddled against the wall, the fire giving his face an eerie look. I approached and laid next to him.

"Thank you," I muttered. "You know, for saving my life."

"Anytime. Here," he whispered. Sephiroth stretched out along the wall and patted his abdomen, signaling me to lie against him. He used his arms as a pillow while I used his stomach. "Good night, Michiko."

"Good night," I muttered sleepily. I fell asleep quickly.

I woke up a few hours later to the sound of Luben waking up Anima so she could take her post. I wished I hadn't laid in a position so I could see them; they were locked in what I knew would be a short kiss. I was right. Anima went to her post mere seconds later while Luben curled up in the bag.

I tried to roll over, but found I couldn't. I noticed then that Sephiroth had wrapped an arm around me and wasn't letting go. I grinned and adjusted my position slightly so I could see his face. I had been so focused on my duties the night before, I hadn't even thought of looking at him. He had laid so I couldn't see his face even if I had looked. When I caught sight of his face, I was shocked. He looked like a true angel, even though he was the exact opposite. His mouth was curled into a slight smile, strands of hair floated over his face, and his eyes were gently shut. He seemed at peace. It was so different from when he was passed out two days ago. It hit me then; we had only known each other for two days, yet we had been through so much, and I already had such strong feelings for him. I wanted to return the kiss he gave me the other night, but I was unable to move his strong arm. Instead, I kissed his hand. I realized in that moment of seeing his face that I would give anything and everything for the love of this angel. As I fell back into slumber, I realized with a slight pang of both anger and exuberance that that included giving my life for this man.

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Once again, we set out just before dawn. Kauko was two and a half weeks away, so we would make it just in time for Sephiroth to go through. At least, I prayed we would make it. I didn't want him to ever leave, but I could understand that he wanted to go home. I had only been away for a couple of days and I wanted to go home, but I was different. If I decided not to help anymore, I could just turn around and go back to my cabin. I could clean up the blood, give Therapon a funeral, and move on with my life. Sephiroth couldn't go home that easily. Ever since, well, however long it's been since the Nibelheim Reactor mission, he's never really been able to move on with his life. I remember that Cloud's flashback of the incident at the beginning of the game used to be my favorite part. Now that I know everything in the game is true, I felt horrible about feeling that way. It caused Sephiroth such pain. I couldn't bear it.

We managed to make it to the edge of the woods with no problem, but when we reached it, somebody else reached us.

"Hold it!"

"Not that piece of-" Sephiroth started as he made to turn around.

"Just ignore them," I hissed in his ear. I figured it was Tifa or Yuffie since the voice was feminine. The next moment, we heard rustling in the trees tops, and an arrow landed in front of us. It narrowly missed hitting our feet.

"Are you the one they call Sephiroth?" the woman said loudly as she leapt out of the trees. I gasped even louder than she yelled when I saw her face. She looked exactly like me. "I've been hired by Cloud to track you down."

"Whoa…" Luben muttered as we held our weapons ready. "Two Michiko's?"

"No. My name is Takako, and I am your twin sister," she grinned evilly. We stood in silence, my friends staring at me. I wished they hadn't; I was just as confused as them and was beginning to blush. I looked at the ground quietly. "You know it's true."

"No!" I cried, shaking my head violently. "I never had a sister!"

"But you did. When we were born, mom and dad sent me to live with another family. I was later told that they never wanted twins, so they kept you because you were born five minutes earlier," she growled. Takako raised her bow and fitted an arrow in. "And now I finally become the eldest."

"You let go of your arrow and I let go of mine!" I called as I, too, raised my weapon. We stared at each other. Time seemed to freeze. She finally lowered her bow.

"Well, then. I guess there's only one thing to do," she sighed. A few seconds passed before she muttered something so fast, we could barely catch it. "I complete my mission."

With no warning, she raised her bow and shot the arrow.

He had no time to react. I knew he should never have lowered Masamune.

"Ah," Sephiroth gasped when the arrow made contact with his stomach.

"SEPHIROTH, NO! You little bitch!" I screamed. I didn't care that she was my sister, nor did I care what I hit. I simply shot my arrows as quickly as I could in her direction. I was so filled with hate and tears clouded my vision so much, I finally closed my eyes and merely shot as fast as I could. I never even knew she left.

"Michiko, stop! She's gone! Knock it off!" Luben snapped. I was about to let go of the arrow when I felt his hand holding mine back. I relaxed and fell to the ground sobbing.

"Sephiroth, no…"

"We can still save him," Anima said. She was kneeling by him and removing the arrow gingerly. "I can't get the head out. We need to go to the hospital now."

"Michiko," Sephiroth whispered softly as I approached.

"Don't talk," I sighed sadly when I saw him cringing in pain. I grasped his hands carefully, my tears dripping onto them. His eyes closed immediately after. We made haste to the hospital.

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We waited hours for the doctors to finish. I had begged to be in there with him, but they forbid it. I was horrified that a weapon as simple as an arrow could pierce the man. We sat in silence the whole time. I nearly tackled the doctor when he came out.

"What happened? Is he okay?" I demanded.

"Your friend will be just fine. You'll be able to see him in a few minutes," the doctor replied. "He's a very odd person. He woke up just before we went in, but demanded that he went through without any anesthesia. We also did an analysis of his blood and found some interesting things in it."

"Like what?" Anima asked.

"There were a lot of green cells in the bloodstream. He said he had them his whole life. It seems that he would rather have them. We're going to drain them tomorrow."

"No!" I said quickly. He looked at me oddly. I tried to find an explanation quick. "He's had those cells his whole life. If he's gone through life this well, why take them out now? After all, nobody is born with strange cells in their blood. Somebody must have put them there for a reason."

"Well, it's up to him," the doctor shrugged. "You may walk with him to recovery."

As he said this statement, a nurse was pushing a gurney out of the operating room. I ran to Sephiroth's side.

"I'll take him down," I said to the nurse.

"Fine, dear. Room 45, end of the hall, last door on the right," the nurse smiled as I rolled my friend down the hall.

"How do you feel?"

"Better than when blood was gushing out of my stomach and an arrow was digging a new ulcer into it," he sighed quietly. "You look like you've been through hell."

"It's worry. I was afraid for you."

"Why would you be afraid for me?" Sephiroth muttered.

"Never mind," I shook my head. "They want to drain your Jenova cells."

"No," he said automatically. "They're what give me my strength."

"Then they won't do it," I concluded as we entered the room. I helped him into the bed and sat a few minutes in silence. "Did it hurt? When she shot you?"

"A little," Sephiroth whispered. He leaned back on his pillow. "Michiko, I-"

He never finished the statement. We heard an explosion and screaming outside. He was out of bed before I realized what he was doing. I followed Sephiroth into the hall as Anima ran up.

"Cloud's here! He tracked us!" she gasped. "Luben's downstairs. We have to leave!"

"Let's go," I nodded to Sephiroth. We dashed to the lobby and found Luben locked in combat with Tifa. Much to my surprise, he was losing.

"So, I see the mighty Sephiroth had to be hospitalized," Cloud taunted when he saw us. "You disappoint me. You didn't even have the balls to kill Barret with your own hands. You had to get your girlfriend to do it."

"What do you mean girlfriend?" Sephiroth demanded as he and Cloud circled each other.

"You haven't noticed how she looks at you? You don't even realize what she's done for you?" Cloud laughed. "Even I know what she was trying to say the day I found you in the house. She was trying to tell you that she loves you."

"You lying piece of-" Sephiroth began. He stopped when Vincent shot a bullet by his head.

"I've been waiting for you, Sephiroth."

"Why don't you go back to your coffin where you belong?"

"Why should I go when it's you who is going to die tonight?" Vincent said smoothly.

The group forgot about the rest of us and began to trap Sephiroth. I began to look around for something to distract them. I noticed that one of the plants had caught fire from the explosion. I still don't know exactly what caused it. Anyway, I tore off four strips of fabric from my clothes, wrapped them around my arrows, and ran to the plant. When the arrows were ablaze, I fired them at Cloud, Yuffie, Tifa, and Vincent, one right after the other.

"You little bitch!" Cloud snapped when he saw his cape on fire. He charged at me and nearly caught my arm. Anima managed to nail his leg. As he lay screaming, the four of us charged through the others and ran like all hell had broken loose. We didn't know then that it truly had. We never stopped running until there were two towns between us and the hospital.

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Lots of info in this chapter. Okay, onto review answers!

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Mediciner: I hope you don't mind me using your way of replying to reviews… Yep, I create 'em, I destroy 'em! Actually, I don't kill all of them. Careful with the stress ball! (I squeezed one too hard once and it exploded in the living room… not a pretty sight!) Thanks for reading both stories!

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kizna1200: I think you and Soul Vagabond would get along well! You're good at deductions. Ever thought of a career as a detective? I didn't even know you wanted me to kill Barret… If not a traditional detective, maybe psychic detective? Anyway, thanks to you, too!

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Soul Vagabond: Yeah, but the readers never know who, do they? points at Mediciner I know I do stuff like this a lot, but that's my style and I'm sticking to it!

REVIEW, PEOPLES!

NINJA MAGE


	5. The Confessions

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Pre-reading author note: If you are under 13 years of age, please skip the section between the second dotted line and third after the chapter tittle. I do not want to twist young minds any more than they already are or imprint questionable images. Don't say I didn't warn you. Review replies are at the bottom as usual. Thank you. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Chapter 5:

The Confessions

"We need a place to stay," Luben whispered as we crouched in the forest. He was bleeding heavily. Anima bound his wounds as we thought about the predicament.

"Let's stay at an inn over night," I sighed. I needed a decent night's sleep in a warm bed. "Two nights, if we can spare it."

"Sounds good to me," Sephiroth agreed.

"One problem," Anima said. "I only have enough money for a one, single bed room."

"That's fine. I have enough money for a one bed as well," I muttered. I glanced at Sephiroth, but he refused to look at me. After Cloud told him my feelings, he hadn't looked at me once. It pained me that he would shun me like that. I was not looking forward to sharing a room with him, but I wasn't going to split up Anima and Luben.

"It's settled. We go to the inn at dusk," Luben finalized. We remained in the woods until the shadows lengthened.

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"One bedroom, please," Anima requested.

"One bed or two?" the clerk muttered. She sounded bored to death.

"One bed with one bath."

"Room 52B. Here's your key. Next."

"One bedroom, one bed with one bath," I said hurriedly.

"Room 84D. Here's your key."

"Well," I said as Sephiroth and I hurried to our room. "I guess Cloud won't think to look for you here, huh?"

"Maybe he will, maybe he won't."

"What's wrong?" I asked. My concern was growing greater each day.

"Nothing," he muttered. We entered the room, where he proceeded to pull off his cloak and stretch out on the bed.

"I'm going to shower. I'll be out in a little while," I sighed. Half an hour later, I was sliding into a pair of pajamas while Sephiroth bathed. I was brushing my hair as Sephiroth came out of the bathroom.

"Is it true what he said?" he asked me as he dried his hair with a towel.

"What are you talking about?"

"What Cloud said about the day we left," Sephiroth looked at me as he threw his towel aside. "Were you trying to say that you loved me?"

I wanted to lie. If it would make him talk to me, I wanted to abandon my feelings and tell him it was a lie. He looked me in the eyes again. I realized then that I hated when he did that. It was like Sephiroth could see right through me. I hated that feeling. I was startled when I found that I had backed into the wall.

"Well?" he demanded again as he stood not one foot away.

"It's true," I finally gasped. He grabbed me by the shoulders roughly.

"Why didn't you say it before?" he hissed. Before I could answer, he lashed out again. "I would have liked to know."

"Why?" I snapped. "What would you know about love?"

"Because," he whispered. He loosened his grip and looked at me softly. "I was in love twice before. The first time was prior to when I entered SOLDIER. The second, I had started to fall for Aeris. When I first saw you in the cabin, you were wiping my body. Something began stirring inside me. I realized then that I feel the same for you as I once felt for the others. I've wanted to tell you, but I knew that no one could love anyone as evil as I. I thought if you knew, you would abandon me."

"I promised I would never love another man after my cheating lover, Prem, died five years ago. You're the only exception," I began to tremble.

"Say it then. I need to hear you say it," Sephiroth whispered, his eyes half-closed and face coming towards mine.

"I love you, Sephiroth," I whispered as I brought my face to his.

"And I love you, Michiko," he sighed.

This moment was the one I had been waiting for the entire journey. I had wanted nothing more than for us to willingly share a kiss.

I never again knew as much joy as when his warm, soft lips finally touched mine.

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I don't know how we got in the situation. It was as if one moment, we were making out against the wall, and the next we were laying in bed. The event in-between went by in such a blur, I wasn't completely sure it had even happened. I propped myself up and looked at Sephiroth.

"When did you first realize that you loved me?" Sephiroth whispered.

"I guess a few years ago," I thought aloud. "I was really getting into the game. I thought you were the coolest character. I don't think I actually realized how much I really like you until you came here."

"Thanks. I haven't done that in a long time," he sighed.

"Just about six years," I smiled. Prem had been in the war for a year before he died.

"Do you miss him?" Sephiroth asked me.

"No," I decided. He looked at me with surprise. "He was screwing dozens of other women while we were together. I only wish I had found out before he died so I could have had the satisfaction of beating the crap out of him."

"I still miss my lovers a little. Then again, I don't really think about them that much anymore."

"Good. It doesn't do well to dwell in the past," I nodded. He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close to him.

"I wish we could be together forever," Sephiroth said happily, stroking my face.

He kissed me once again. I didn't want to voice my opinion. I didn't know how he would take it. I laid against his chest happily, listening to his heart beating. I could tell it was strong. I wanted to fall asleep to that _thump, thump! Thump, thump!_ sound every night for the rest of my life. I finally gathered the courage to say what was on my mind.

"We can," I said, sitting up and looking at him. "I can leave with you. You don't even have to leave. If Barret was that easy to kill, Cloud can't be much harder, and-"

"Michiko," he shook his head as he, too, sat up. He sighed heavily. "I have to go home, and you have to stay here. We each have our own roles to play on our own worlds. But I'll make you a promise."

"What's that?" I asked, giving him a sideways look.

"If we don't make it to the portal in Kauko before it disappears, I'll give up on going home and I'll stay here with you. If you try to keep me from getting there though, I'm going to keep looking."

"Okay."

"But I also promise this. If I make it through, I swear that I'll find a way back here someday when I can peacefully settle and have a life here," Sephiroth said seriously.

"Thank you. It's a deal," I looked at him lovingly.

"I'm going to turn off the light and burn some incense," he smiled, noticing the lamp and burner for the first time.

I watched him light the incense, and then blow out the small flame. As I watched the smoke patterns on the wall, he flipped off the light and returned by my side. Moonlight poured between the blinds in the window. Sephiroth's feline-like eyes glowed in the slight darkness, the moonlight giving them an evil glint and making his hair shine.

"You are the most beautiful woman… I swear you could trick the gods themselves into thinking you're a goddess."

I smiled at the compliment. He laid a hand on my face. I took it as he leaned in to whisper something to me.

"The night is still young," Sephiroth whispered into my ear. He kissed my neck gently as we laid back down. His next question shocked me so much, it almost made me bite his lip. "Marry me, Michiko…"

"Sephiroth," I sighed. "If you leave, how can we be married?"

"We wake up early tomorrow morning, find a priest, and wed," he said as he sat back up. I continued to lie and gazed up at him. "We will stay connected, no matter whether or not we are physically in each others presence."

"Sephiroth?" I muttered. I looked at him with eyes that I knew weren't even half-open. "Ask me again and I'll give you my answer."

"Michiko," he sighed, grasping my hand. "Will you marry me?"

"Is this a good enough answer?" I grinned. I sat up and wrapped my arms around him. We became locked in a game of tonsil hockey as we laid back down once more. I have never again had a night that I enjoyed so much.

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"I wish we didn't have to keep this from Anima," I sighed as we left the priest's house hand in hand. I realized then how tired I was. We had fallen asleep late last night talking and… well, let's just say 'doing other stuff' and then we got up at the crack of dawn to wed. I looked down at the ring on my finger.

"Do you honestly think she'd approve?" Sephiroth sighed as we approached the bridge leading out of town. He leaned against the railing. "Keep the ring tucked away. Don't take it out until I return."

"Of course," I muttered sadly as I put it carefully into my money pouch. "I guess we should return to the inn, huh?"

"Yeah, Anima's probably freaking out by now," Sephiroth laughed. We rushed to the inn to find Anima knocking on our door.

"Where were you two?" she asked suspiciously. Before we could answer, she continued. "Never mind that. I heard a traveler downstairs say that he saw two strange looking men with a red cape and claw each in the town before this one. We need to leave now."

"Let me get my things," I gasped. When I got outside with my friends, the town was ablaze. I don't know how it got that way so fast, but I never really cared. "What happened?"

"Cloud happened, that's what," Sephiroth said angrily. "He's burning every town he comes to. He wants to make sure I have no place to run."

"Let's go," Anima hissed. We ran to the edge to find Tifa blocking our path.

"Oh, Cloudy! I found them!" She called. She turned to us. "I don't care if he wants you for himself. You've put my love through hell, and I won't let you continue to do that."

"Stay away from us," Luben growled. He slashed at Tifa's arm with surprising swiftness and missed. At least, it looked that way at first. We watched in disgust as her arm slid down her side and blood smeared her body.

"You ass…" she muttered. Tifa collapsed in a dead faint. We hurried on, listening to Cloud cursing us for what we had just done.

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I'm assuming those that did read the part I said not to now know why I gave a warning. There will be no more scenes of that type in this story. The reference to a love before Sephiroth joined SOLDIER is something I came up with for my other story. New readers should see chapter 16 of my other story. Check my profile for the title. Anyway, on to the replies:

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Soul Vagabond: Don't say a word about the section, okay??? I don't care if he's an evil son of a you-know-what! He was good before the Nibelheim Incident, right? Therefore, there could still be some good in him! Not a whole lot, but some! He's still evil in the story, but even evil, demented overlords have the right to fall in love. He doesn't have to be good to fall for someone. If Seymour's misunderstood, Sephiroth can be, too. So there. Sticks out tongue NYAH!

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Mediciner: NO! Not the about to explode stress ball! I like replying like this… I just thought that cuz you're the first person I've seen use it. Yep, Cloud's evil in this. And a pyro.

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kizna1200: I have no replies to you since you didn't review, but thanks for reading anyway! bows graciously

Thanks again for reviews!

NINJA MAGE


	6. The Avengers

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Chapter 6:

The Avengers

"Do you think you killed her?" Anima asked Luben as we took a short break.

"I don't know. If I did, she died of blood loss," Luben sighed. We sat in silence for several minutes before Anima looked up at Sephiroth and I.

"So what exactly were you two doing out so early this morning?"

"Just… you know, taking an early morning stroll," I smiled innocently.

"You always were a bad liar," she replied almost automatically. That was another thing I admired about Anima: she could see through nearly any lie. She was good for Luben. If I told him that Anima had somehow gotten him pregnant instead of him making her, he would believe me. Luben was extremely gullible. Anima bore holes into me with her steely gaze. Sephiroth finally turned to me.

"I guess she's got us," he shrugged. He slowly pulled off his left glove to reveal his wedding ring. I took mine from the pouch and slid it back on my finger as he explained. "We screwed each other last night and decided to get up early this morning and marry each other. Happy now?"

"You WHAT?" Anima screeched after a moment of stunned silence. She began pacing out of anger.

"We love each other, Anima! You know, if Luben wasn't such a coward and you didn't spend every dime you have on Final Fantasy crap, you'd have had a ring on your finger five years ago when you first moved in together!" I snapped.

I didn't realize the mistake I made, even though I had always known better than to make remarks about her Final Fantasy addiction whether I meant it or not. She stopped moving and lowered her head. She refused to look at me. Her shoulders began to tremble and I knew then that I struck a nerve with Anima. I could tell that she was on the verge of tears. I had never seen her cry, and suddenly felt like a total bitch. I turned and ran into the woods, my own eyes filling with tears.

"Michiko, come back!" I heard Sephiroth call. I refused to look back as I ran blindly.

"Let her go," Anima replied just loud enough for me to hear.

I hated them all with each second that passed. Each step I took brought forth a fresh burst of rage. I don't know how long I ran, but I didn't stop until I came to a small stream. I collapsed between two tree roots. A few minutes later, I heard them calling me. I avoided calling attention to myself and cried myself to sleep.

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I woke up several hours later. Dusk had begun to fall, and I was feeling miserable. I decided to find my friends and apologize. I could see a clearing in the woods that boasted a light a short distance from my hiding spot. I crept to it and realized that it was my group. I was about to enter the campsite when I realized that something was terribly wrong. I noticed what it was as I crouched by the edge of the woods and saw myself sitting on Sephiroth's lap with his arms around me.

"Takako, you little shit," I muttered. She was seducing Sephiroth by pretending to be me.

I watched as Sephiroth pushed her up and entered one of the small tents Anima had brought. There were two: one for her and Luben, one for Sephiroth and I. Anima and Luben went into their tent a few minutes later and left Takako sitting there alone. It would have been so easy to shoot her, drag away the body, take her place, and pretend that nothing had happened. Unfortunately, Takako began to enter Sephiroth's tent the same moment I reached for an arrow, and I wasn't about to chance hitting him. Rage surged through my body as I watched the tramp undo the front of her tunic and show off her chest for Sephiroth. I noticed a dagger hidden in the back of her pants and realized her plan. I listened to his laughing and her giggling as the tent closed and was suddenly filled with a fury that I never knew I possessed. I was at the tent in what felt like three steps and, before I knew what I was doing, I had ripped open the front of the tent to find Takako lying on Sephiroth and the two of them trying to undo the other's pants. She shrieked and leapt to the back corner of the tent as Sephiroth drew Masamune.

"Get out of here, Takako!"

"She's Takako, not me!" I yelled. I prepared my bow and arrow. Sephiroth was faster; he leapt at me and shoved me out of the tent.

"I said leave us the hell alone!" he cried. Takako crawled out and wrapped her arms around my lover.

"Go ahead and kill her, my sweet," the imposter muttered in his ear, adding a sly smile in my direction.

Sephiroth charged again. I managed to shoot my bow in such a way that he was forced to drop the sword with only a small scratch to his hand. I took the opportunity to tackle him and force him to the ground. When I had him on his back, I sat on him and forced my hands on his elbows to keep him from flailing. Anima and Luben were out of their tent and watching. They didn't know which of us to attack. I looked deep into those cat eyes and I thought I saw them soften. Before they filled with anger again, I did what was probably the bravest thing I've ever done.

"You'll thank me for this," I whispered. With one swift movement, my hands went from his shoulders to his neck and my lips were practically glued to his. Sephiroth began to struggle a little, but as he recognized the feel, his muscles relaxed. They tightened again, but this time in such a way that he embraced me and returned my kiss.

"No! I was so close!" Takako moaned. The last living image I had of her contained a piece of metal stuck through her bare chest. As the sword was removed, Takako gazed at me with hate and fell to the ground, never to bother us again.

I didn't feel any sorrow when my twin died. I was glad she was murdered. She was not a good person, and I wanted to have no more to do with her. We buried the body before going back to bed. Sephiroth and I waited to return to our tent. When we were sure Luben and Anima were fast asleep, we began what would be our one-night honeymoon.

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"I don't believe I almost made love to your sister," Sephiroth muttered as we woke the next morning. The sun was just barely rising, and the ground was still covered in fog. Sephiroth's arm was wrapped around me so tightly, I thought he was going to make me throw up.

"I forgive you," I sighed softly.

"I love you," Sephiroth whispered into my ear. He kissed my neck as he pulled his clothes on.

"I love you, Sephy," I smiled.

"Sephy?"

"You don't like it?"

"Eh, not particularly," he shook his head. I, too, stood and dressed. Anima and Luben left their tent at the same time we did.

"Morning," I nodded.

"Hi," Anima replied. We looked at each other for a moment and then turned away.

There was something special about our friendship. Between all of the insults and mean things we've said to each other during the fifteen years we've been friends, I don't think we've ever verbally apologized. We make nonverbal agreements to forget about what we quarreled about and, over time, actually forget why we were mad in the first place.

The four of us packed up the tents and supplies. As the fog finally disappeared completely, we were heading north to Kauko. With all the running we were doing, we were closer than we thought we'd be at that time. None of us saw hide or hair of Cloud, Vincent, Yuffie, or Tifa for three days. We decided to spend two nights in one cave in particular. We were so tired, none of us wanted to stand guard. Sephiroth and I merely laid next to each other for a long time on the first night. My blanket was under us and his cloak was covering us. I listened to his heart, just as I had done the past few nights. He finally began dozing when I began crying a little.

"You okay?" he whispered as my tears hitting his chest woke him back up.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just don't believe what's happening to me. This is the last thing I ever thought I would be doing in my entire life," I sighed. "I was also thinking about what would happen when we find the portal. I don't want to lose you."

"I'll come back."

"I want to go with you," I muttered.

"No. If Cloud follows me, I'll have to fight him when we get through. I don't want you getting hurt. I'm sorry," Sephiroth moaned. He held me closer to his heart and shut his eyes. "I'll always be there with you. When you're lonely, listen to the night wind for my voice. Try to remember my heartbeat when you long for me as you slumber. I'll give you strength if you ask for it. My eyes will always be watching you. I promise."

"And you can expect the same from me, my love."

He never heard the statement. He had fallen asleep just after his short speech. I kissed his shoulder and soon joined him.

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"Come out, Sephiroth!"

"How could he find me? I thought we covered our tracks too well to be followed," Sephiroth gasped as we packed our supplies two mornings later. Cloud was waiting at the entrance. Fortunately, we had slept in an adjoining 'room,' so he couldn't see us.

"I know you're in here! Tifa's dead! Are you happy? Come out and fight like a man!" he called.

"Guess we're all murderers, huh?" Anima whispered as we laid close to the ground.

"They're in here!" Yuffie yelled. She was standing right outside the corridor and had a shuriken ready. We stood as she prepared the throw. "Try getting _this_ out of your stomach, Sephiroth!"

She threw the large star at the same spot the arrow had pierced. Sephiroth was ready this time. He drew Masamune, hit the star back at Yuffie, and finally managed to hit her. She let out a painful scream as the shuriken edge hit her stomach and pinned her to the wall across the cave. Yuffie released a very wet sounding gasp before her eyes closed and she went limp. Blood was pouring from her mouth as Cloud and Vincent ran to her. When Vincent saw the damage, he turned to us and shot his pistol at Sephiroth. He ducked, and the bullet hit a very weak column that seemed to hold up the entire cave. The cave trembled and rocks began dropping from the ceiling.

"Run!" Sephiroth cried in fear. We didn't need to be told twice. We all hurried to the entrance. Vincent followed us, but Cloud refused to go. He pulled Yuffie from the wall and carried her to the back of the cave to find a way out. The entrance was blocked by the time she was free, anyway.

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"Let's not do that again," I panted. I looked over at Vincent's limp body. He had been hit on the head by a falling rock just as we got out, and he was out cold. "Do we take him with us or leave him here?"

"I say take him," Sephiroth sighed. "We could use him to bargain with Cloud."

"I brought some rope," Anima muttered. She went to tie his hands together. Unfortunately, the movement woke him up. Shoving her aside, he stood and looked around for Sephiroth.

"Where is he?" Vincent asked. I noticed then that he wasn't there. Vincent held his gun ready.

"I'm right here," Sephiroth said from behind him. Sephiroth grabbed Vincent, knocked his gun away, and pinned him against a tree, the sword against the pale throat. "One more sound out of you and this sword might just slip."

"You wouldn't kill me," Vincent whispered. "Remember who injected you with those cells to give you your strength?"

"I wouldn't care if you were my father," Sephiroth hissed angrily, but he lowered his sword anyway.

"Give me my gun and I promise, I'll lead Cloud away from you."

"You're coming with us," Luben said, waving the pistol and trying to get on Vincent's nerves. He was good at annoying people.

"I don't have a choice, do I?" he muttered after looking around at us for a few moments.

"Actually, you do. You either come with us peacefully or suffer a slow and painful death," I said with a slight smile. "You decide."

"I'll come with you," he sighed in a defeated tone. He sat on the ground and laid his head in his hands.

"Get up," Sephiroth kicked him, causing Vincent to fall over and literally eat dirt.

"Don't hurt him. Just because he's a hostage doesn't mean we have to treat him poorly. Jeez," I rolled my eyes and helped Vincent up. I never told anybody, not even Anima, but Vincent was my favorite male hero. At least, out of the guys from game seven. We made him carry most of our supplies as we set off around the cave. We had planned on walking through the cave and going out the back, but now that we couldn't get back in, we had to go around.

"Where exactly were you heading?" Vincent asked as we sat for lunch. He nibbled a banana as he waited for our answer.

"We were going to Kauko to find a portal that will send Sephiroth home," Anima explained. "It'll close in about two weeks, I think. I don't even know exactly how long we've been going anymore."

"Me neither," Luben sighed. We finished eating in silence. As we began walking again, Vincent asked me to walk with him in the back. Sephiroth eyed us suspiciously as we talked.

"Why are you helping him? You do realize how evil he is, right?" Vincent asked, glancing at me with blood-red eyes.

"I know he's evil. I also know that before he went to Nibelheim and discovered the Jenova Project and who he is, he was one of the good guys. I think there's still some good in him. It's probably very deep inside him, but he wasn't born evil," I sighed. I smiled a little. "Besides, he could probably undo the madness that overtook him with a few therapy sessions."

"Ha," Vincent laughed a little at the thought of Sephiroth lying on a couch in a shrink's office. "I don't know how right you are, but I'm glad to see that he's found someone willing to be so kind. He's never really had much kindness given to him, even when he was under our care."

We walked quietly for a few minutes. He finally noticed the ring on my finger.

"I see you're married. Is your husband kind?"

"With a few sessions with a psychiatrist, he'll be the sweetest of men," I hinted. Vincent's eyes went wide when he realized who I meant.

"Sephiroth?" he gasped in disbelief. I nodded. Sephiroth came up to us and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, glancing at Vincent with hate. Vincent only smirked and chuckled.

"I never would've thought I'd see the day when you went soft enough to actually marry someone."

"At least I've managed to find someone who loves me," Sephiroth snapped in retaliation. I could tell that Sephiroth was looking for an excuse to harm Vincent.

"Knock it off, both of you," I growled. "If either one of you tries to start something again, I don't care who starts it, I'm going to kick your ass."

I think I scared both of them, because from then on they walked in silence.

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Suteki da ne, futari te wo tori, aruketa nara… Ahem. Sorry, listening to _Suteki Da Ne_ right now. I downloaded that and this awesome fan version of the ending theme today. I actually cried when I listened to it because it's so accurate and I can picture the end so clearly… really sad ending for anyone who hasn't finished FFX... Sniffle… 'The people and the friends that we have lost, or the dreams that have faded… Never forget them.' Yuna's last words in the game… Yeah. Anyway, replies. Right:

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DarkFeruil: Thanks for the review and siding with me on the war between SV and I. More power to us! And of course, other readers. Keep reading, and I hope to see some stories by you on here!

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Soul Vagabond: Yeah, I noticed that. So what if he has a heart of black ice? He can still think a woman is hot. I don't think what Michiko said to Anima, by the way! Those aren't my thoughts! I'm just as crazy about FF as you! Oh, and according to FF Online, Advent Children is now slotted to release in trumpet fanfare **2005**! That's right! I'm really starting to get pissed about this FF7AC thing… Oh, and did you see Cinematech Tuesday night? It was a tribute to Nobuo Uematsu. I taped it if you want to see it. One Winged Angel, Dancing Mad, and Liberi Fatali are on there!

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Kizna1200: That's okay. I hope you had fun. The Cloudy thing that Tifa says is because they like each other. Okay? The arm thing wasn't supposed to be funny, but I'm glad someone was amused.

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Mediciner: Yea, no more stress ball! That Advent Children thing, as I told SV, didn't go out on Saturday like I said. Sorry! First it was coming out last Tuesday, then Saturday, then this past Tuesday, and now I think one store said Friday, and now FFOnline says 2005! Wah! Anyway, my mom said the ship or plane or whatever is being used to get copies over here might keep getting delayed for some reason or another. I don't know, but I'll let ya'll know when it finally comes out.

Just so you all know, I might not be updating either story until August. I'm leaving on the 24 to visit family for two weeks and don't know if the next chapters will be ready before then. If they are, I'll update. I'll try to write while I'm gone so I can update once I get back. Thanks everyone!

NINJA MAGE


	7. The Countdown

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Chapter 7:

The Countdown

We made camp the next night in a small clearing. We had made it around the cave and skirted around Cloud as he buried Yuffie. I thrashed Sephiroth soon after we were out of earshot; he had knocked Vincent unconscious to keep him from calling out.

"I did it to keep you safe," was his excuse, a kiss added to try and convince me. Somehow I knew better.

Anima, Luben, Vincent and I sat up awhile talking. Sephiroth refused to join us and went to bed right after we ate.

"You've spoiled him," Vincent said, lighting a cigarette as he did.

"Like you said though, he's been shown so little kindness in his life," Anima reminded him. Vincent tilted his head slightly, giving his face a 'that's true' look. I coughed as the smoke blew in my direction.

"You do know that's a disgusting habit that'll get you killed one of theses days, right?" I choked as he took a long drag.

"Would you rather I shoot my gun at Sephiroth's ass whenever I'm stressed?" he asked. I had no comeback, so I shut my mouth. I think I made an impression on him, though. He flung his half-smoked death stick into the fire. I'm not sure, but I thought I heard him mutter, "my last one, too…"

"I'm actually glad you've kidnapped me. Other than these damn headaches he keeps giving me, that is," Vincent confessed. He rubbed his the bruise that was forming on his head from the last blow he received.

"What makes you say that?" Luben asked. We were shocked at those words.

"Cloud's a jerk. I only joined him in the first place so I could have my revenge on SHINRA and Hojo. I don't worry about them anymore, so I had no reason to stay in contact, but Cloud found me and begged me to help track down Sephiroth when he returned. I actually feel a little sorry for him."

"I think Sephiroth would want to know that," I told him. Vincent only shook his head.

"He never wants pity from anyone. Even when he was a child, he never wanted any of us feeling bad for him when he got injured. It could have been anything from a paper cut to a broken bone and the first thing he would say was, 'shut up and take me to the doctor' or, 'shut up and give me a bandage.' He threatened us a lot, too. If we tried to show any emotion to him, he would push whoever it was away or hit us. That's why it's so strange that he would feel strongly enough to marry you," he sighed and stood. "I'm going to sleep. Good night."

We watched him lay down on a rock just beyond the light of the fire. One by one, we went into our tents to sleep. I entered mine last to find Sephiroth curled up tightly, but not under his cloak or asleep. He was wrapped up by the front of the tent and seemed to be taking something in.

"I never realized that he felt bad for me. Then again, I didn't realize that anyone loved me, either," Sephiroth smiled at me. I kissed him and laid down on my blanket. Sephiroth came over and put his cloak over my body as usual. Instead of lying with me, he kissed my cheek and made to go outside.

"Where are you going? Everyone's in bed," I asked. Without turning, Sephiroth said the last thing I expected to come out of his mouth.

"I have a favor that I'll need Vincent to do for me. I only hope he won't have to fulfill it for a long time, if ever" he muttered. The next second, he was gone. I thought about eavesdropping, but as I was so tired, I dozed off before I made up my mind.

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"You're sure you can do it?" I heard Sephiroth ask quietly.

I was woken up by him and Vincent talking outside my tent. Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night thinking you've been asleep for hours, but it's only been five minutes to half-an-hour? That's what this was like. The fire was no different from when I had come to bed, and the sky had barely shifted. I laid deathly still and listened.

"Assuming you do die before me, yes," Vincent replied. My breath caught in my chest. The thought of Sephiroth dying…

"I have a bad feeling that I won't survive another battle with Cloud. With luck, I'll get through with enough time to get away from him."

"As long as I find another portal here, I'll do it," Vincent said quietly. I sat up, pushed the coat aside, and peered at them, careful not to let the firelight illuminate my face. They were facing the fire, so I couldn't see them very well.

"She's important to me. If anything happens, you'd better take care of her," Sephiroth ordered. Vincent looked at him. I could see him smile a little.

"Never thought I'd hear you say that about anything except maybe Jenova and the Promised Land. Are you still searching?"

"I think I already found it."

"Really? When?" Vincent asked in surprise. Sephiroth looked at him and smiled.

"The day I woke up to find Michiko sitting next to me."

I watched quietly as Vincent gazed around the camp. He whispered something to Sephiroth that I couldn't hear. They glanced in my direction, causing me to jump.

"Good. She should know," Sephiroth replied to him. The next thing he said to me. "Michiko, I already know you're listening. You might as well come out."

"How did you know?" I asked as I crawled out slowly. Vincent only smiled.

"I can see better than you think. As a matter of fact, when you four first fled from Cloud and ducked into the woods, I saw you there."

"So why didn't you tell him?" Sephiroth asked.

"Because I didn't want any of you getting hurt, especially innocent natives," Vincent explained.

"What were you talking about dying for?" I asked Sephiroth sadly.

"I'll probably have to fight when I get home. I'm afraid that I'll lose to him. If I do, Vincent will come back in my place," he told me. "If anything happens to keep me from coming back to you, he'll be here."

"You have to come back," I whined. "You're the great Sephiroth. Vincent, why don't you help him?"

"This is something that he has to do alone," he said. "This isn't my problem. It's between Sephiroth and Cloud."

I shut my eyes tight and sat on the ground. I refused to let either of them see the tears in my eyes. I hardly acknowledged Sephiroth when he stroked my face and spoke to me.

"I'll be in the tent. Good night. I love you."

I sat there shaking out of anger and sadness. I jumped three feet in the air when I felt metal on my shoulder. I looked and saw Vincent looking in my eyes, almost as Sephiroth had done so many times. His clawed hand gripped my shoulder.

"The only way to save him is not to let him through, but get Cloud to go alone."

"He told me several days ago that he had to go home, that he had a role to play there," I whispered.

"Then there's still one way to prevent his death," he said. I looked at him oddly, and I was shocked at his answer. "Kill Cloud before he gets to the portal and Sephiroth."

"But this is between Sephiroth and Cloud. You said so yourself."

"I know. If you can find him and make him very weak, Sephiroth will have little trouble finishing the job," Vincent explained. I thought for a few minutes. "Do you want to see him again?"

"Yes."

"Then you know what to do, don't you?"

"Yeah," I sighed with regret. "Don't tell him where I've gone."

Vincent nodded and watched me gather my pack from the tent. I looked at the sleeping form of Sephiroth for the last time. I bent and kissed him. He was fast asleep and didn't make any motion when I did so. I quietly left the tent and readied my bow and arrow.

"This is a suicide mission, isn't it?"

"Not necessarily. If you can stay hidden and hit him from the shadows, you'll make it out alive," he reassured me.

"Tell Sephiroth I love him," I requested. Vincent laid a hand on my shoulder again.

"Tell him yourself when you finish the job."

I began walking towards the woods, but a voice stopped me.

"Michiko? Where are you going?" Sephiroth asked, walking out of the tent sleepily. He looked at me worriedly.

"Goodbye, love," I whispered. Tears in my eyes, I turned and ran into the woods. I could hear him chasing after me, but he never saw me leap into a tree. I listened to him and Vincent in the camp a few minutes later.

"What did you say to her?" Sephiroth yelled.

"I told her how to save your life so she could see you again," Vincent explained calmly. I heard flesh connect with flesh, and knew that Sephiroth had punched Vincent.

"She's going to die if she goes after him, and you know it. I'm not leaving without saying goodbye to her," Sephiroth hissed. I heard the flap of the tent as he went back in, and heard only silence come from the direction of the camp. I remained there for a short time, sobbing quietly. Luben came out and yelled for everyone to get up.

"Where's Michiko?" he asked when he didn't see me.

"She's gone to fight Cloud so Sephiroth can kill him and come back to her someday," Vincent said hurriedly. "What's wrong?"

"I just checked the portal in Kauko. We only have five days to get there."

"I thought you said it closes in three weeks. It can't have been more than one," Anima whispered after a moment of shock.

"Something's gone through. When someone or something goes through a portal, the life time of the portal is decreased."

"We stop for nothing. We try to find her on the way, and we stop for nothing else," Sephiroth commanded. He began gathering his supplies.

"We need to rest at least one night," Anima insisted. Sephiroth turned to her angrily.

"You can sleep if you want, but I'm going after the portal and Michiko."

"Sephiroth, please," Luben begged, stifling a yawn.

"I agree with him," Vincent sighed. "Why chance anything else going through? If we miss this portal, we may never get home."

"Fine," Anima moaned. She and Luben went into their tent to pack. Sephiroth waited with Vincent impatiently.

"You know what? If she didn't care enough to come with me the rest of the way, fine. I don't care if I find her," Sephiroth muttered angrily. He began taking our tent down. Vincent walked just under the tree I was hiding in.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think things would turn out this way," he muttered to me. At least, I think that's what he said. I tuned him out as I made my way through the forest in search of Cloud. I don't think I ever looked back.

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Okay, he's back to his old cold-hearted self. Happy now, SV? Anyway, this is the last update until sometime in August. I'll be out of town for two weeks starting tomorrow, so I hope you all read this chapter nice and slow. Also, I fixed up my bio page, so now you all can learn a little more about me. Just remember, don't believe everything you read…

Onwards!

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Soul Vagabond: I know who you mean. No, Luben's not quite that bad. Hope you had fun on your vacation. I hope you're happy. He's back to his unloving self again. That'll change by the end, but now he's himself.

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Mediciner: On the subject of FF7, you may be right. Is there something you know that I don't? On the subject of my ff, thanks! On the subject of your review, that was short!

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Trance: Thanks for the compliment. The story actually only has (maybe) five to eight more chapters. Very short, but I'm glad someone's enjoying it.

Me: Thanks for Reading and Reviewing, and I'll 'see' you all in two weeks.

Sephiroth: cough stalker cough

Me: Hey!

Sephiroth: And what's the deal with giving me a wife and cutting my hair, huh?

Me: smiles maliciously Well, I can give the real you a haircut, instead… draws multiple Shurikens

Sephiroth: No! I didn't mean it! is chased by me

Auron: Run, Sephiroth! Use your scrawny little legs!

Sephiroth: I'm going as fast as I- stops and glares at Auron My legs are not scrawny!

Me: -.- Ah, the joys of letting my prisoners watch LegendaryFrog's Ark and Kerrigan cartoons on Newgrounds…

NINJA MAGE


	8. Four

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Chapter 8:

Four…

I had walked through the forest for several hours when I finally collapsed. I sobbed heavily before standing and wiping my eyes. If Sephiroth didn't care for me enough to risk missing the portal to find me and say good-bye, I wasn't going to cry about it anymore. After collecting myself, I began walking in search of Cloud.

"Where the hell are you?" I muttered to myself. I saw no sign of him until what I suppose was late morning, maybe even noon. I saw him crouched by a stream, washing his face. A plan slowly formed in my head, and I approached cautiously. He turned swiftly when he heard me step on a twig.

"What do you want?" he snapped.

"Relax, it's me, Takako," I told him, trying to make my voice sound more like her. I prayed silently that he knew nothing of her death.

"Oh, right. That's what I hate about you two being twins," he groaned. He turned back to the stream. "Report."

"I was unable to subdue Sephiroth. I approached camp a few nights ago to find Michiko seducing him. She had gone missing earlier that day, so it was no trouble pretending that they had found me instead of her. I managed to get Sephiroth angry and forget about Michiko. He attacked me, but I got him on his back and kissed him. I guess my sister and I kiss alike, because he returned it and actually believed that I was his wife. The other girl stuck her sword through Michiko. They burned the body, and Sephiroth, still believing I was Michiko, made love to me later that night."

"And you didn't take the opportunity to stick an arrow through his neck?" Cloud demanded as he began to undress.

"What are you doing?" I asked in slight disgust.

"I'm filthy, so I'm going to go bathe. Now answer the question."

"This is the kind of thing that takes time," I explained as I turned away. I heard a splash as he dove into the river. I turned back around. "My plan was to kill the other two first, in order to eliminate witnesses and anyone that might avenge him, but Sephiroth always held me close at night and insisted that we go to bed at the same time. He has very strong arms. I could hardly even roll over. Anyway, when Vincent joined us, he figured out who I was. He held me at gunpoint last night after the others went to bed and demanded that I leave. Sephiroth started to follow me, but I lost him."

"Why the hell would Vincent want to keep Sephiroth safe?" Cloud pondered as he waded.

"It seems that Vincent thinks you are a jerk, but he cares about Sephiroth, almost as a son or close friend, at least. He said last night the he only joined you so he could have revenge on SHINRA and Hojo," I said. _Please, forgive me, Vincent_, I thought to myself. "I did find out that they're heading for Kauko, and the portal there closes in four days, including today. If you make it through before them, they will be stuck here. You will have no more worries about Sephiroth or that traitorous Vincent."

"Good. Do you know the way to Kauko?"

"Yes," I nodded. He began to climb out of the river.

"Then that's where we're going."

"Okay," I replied as he started to dress.

We ate a light lunch before heading north. Cloud and I chatted a little, and I learned why Vincent thought he was a jerk. All Cloud wanted to talk about was himself. And believe me, he is not the most interesting person in the world. We sighted Sephiroth and my original group once. I longed to run to him and wrap my arms around his waist, but I knew it would give away my cover. I would be dead before Sephiroth even saw me. Cloud and I decided to move to Kauko parallel to them, but about one mile between our groups. I kept slightly behind Cloud after we saw my friends. I secretly hoped that Vincent or Anima had seen me (Sephiroth and Luben were facing away from us the whole time) and followed us, waiting to snatch me away. I also hoped that Cloud would stop to sleep, but he kept going through the night. I had intended on waiting until he was asleep and at least maiming him, if not kill, but that was not going to happen. We stopped only to eat dinner.

"Why exactly did Vincent stop you from going to bed last night?" Cloud asked suddenly. I stopped chewing my food, stared into the fire, and formed an excuse: the truth.

"Sephiroth refused to talk with Vincent, so he went to bed right after eating. The rest of us stayed up and talked. That's when I found out Vincent's feelings towards you. He went to bed right before Michiko's friends and I did. Sephiroth was still awake. That put a dent in my plan to begin with. I had planned on stabbing him in his sleep and then going after the others. Sephiroth left the tent to talk to Vincent."

"I thought you said he didn't want to speak with old Vince."

"Not around us, anyway. I'm sorry to tell you this, but you'll have to kill Vincent, too. Sephiroth doesn't think he'll win the next fight with you. If he loses, Vincent will be coming back here to take his place. Anyway, they saw me listening and called me out. Sephiroth explained the situation to me and went to bed. Vincent held me back and told me to leave. He's probably told Sephiroth who I really am by now."

"I see. Well, with luck, I'll be able to get rid of them before I go through. Neither of us will worry about them again."

"Good," I said. I tried to hide my sadness, but it didn't work.

"Are you okay?" Cloud asked me.

"Perfectly fine," I smiled. Cloud came over to me and took my hand.

"You know, since they killed Tifa, I don't have anyone. I remember you telling me when we met that you don't have anyone, either."

"Yes, that's right."

"You know what we could do," Cloud whispered. I grimaced slightly as he brought his face to mine. I somehow knew he was about to kiss me. "I could…"

"What?"

"Send you to the Lifestream where you won't be lonely anymore."

"_What_?"

"You've been careless today. You're not Takako. You're Michiko. You've spilled too much. I have no use for you anymore," Cloud snarled. He drew his blade and made to slash at me. I dodged.

"You're right. I am Michiko. Vincent did stop me from going to bed last night, but you know why? He wants you dead! He wants me to get you weak enough that Sephiroth can beat the shit out of you and finally send you to the Lifestream! AH!" I screamed as the blade came down on my arm. I managed to move enough that it wasn't amputated, but it still caught and started bleeding. I drew an arrow and tackled Cloud.

"Get off me!" he yelled in surprise. The sword was thrown from his hand and landed two yards away. He scratched at my face with his clawed hand.

"Ah! No! Eck! Stop! Bastard!" I yelled. He continued slashing until my face was so bloody, I could hardly see for the blood dripping down my face and into my eyes. Arrow in hand, I managed to find his hand and stab it with the arrow.

"ARGH!" he screamed in pain. The weapon went cleanly through the palm of his right hand. I could see the arrowhead covered in blood and glinting in the firelight. "YOU BITCH!"

"That's for me. This is for Sephiroth," I growled. I grabbed another arrow and stuck it through his chest. I meant to hit his heart, but he jerked and I hit the middle of his breastplate instead.

"I'll kill you! I swear to god, I'm going to kill Sephiroth and Vincent, and then I'm going to come after you!" he screeched.

He grabbed my leg hard with his claw and drew even more blood than was on my face. Tears mixing with blood, I grabbed yet another arrow. Cloud was getting smarter, though. He grabbed my hand and broke the head off. Fortunately, he had knocked the shaft away. Arrowhead in my hand, I tore his face open multiple times as he had done to me. I nearly puked when I realized that I had just cut open his eye. He would have a scar similar to the ones Red XIII and Auron had on their eyes. As he lay writhing and screaming in agony, I stood up and tried to walk. The cuts on my leg were deep and hurt like hell. Trying to ignore the pain, I picked up my bow and half ran, half limped towards Kauko. The entire time, I could hear Cloud screaming behind me.

"You bitch! When I'm through with Sephiroth and Vincent, you're next! Sephiroth's going to get it worse now! He can thank you for that! You're lucky I let go of the sword when I did! When I'm through with you three, you'll be lucky to have blood left in your veins at all! A rocket scientist won't be able to put your body back together!"

He eventually shut up. I wouldn't find out until later whether it was because he was dead or just tired of yelling.

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Me: Wow, over a month without an update! I got back three weeks ago, too. Sorry people!**Sephiroth: **((cough)) Lazy! ((cough))

Me: I am not lazy! I'm just… ((thinks)) ENERGETICALLY CHALLENGED!

Squall: Well, that's true. You've been getting up at noon every day for the past two weeks. You've had writer's block, too. Talk about a short chapter.

**Me: **((rolls eyes)) Gee, thanks, _Leon_.

**Squall: **((skulks off))

**Me: **((smiling)) Okay, on to review thingamajiggers!

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Soul Vagabond: I finally updated! Yay! Auron came from his closet. Yes, you did! We found it! I told you it was funny! Always remember: Chocolate is the ultimate Sin! HeHe. Seymour's giving me a dirty look… Anyway, what's with the jig? You won't even dance at the school dances. Anyway, sorry it's been so boring on FF. Beware the dreaded 'R' section of Final Fantasy X…

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Mediciner: Sorry I haven't read your stories yet. I'll R&R ASAP. LegendaryFrog makes the BEST flash cartoons, doesn't he? TLF is good, too. He animates the 8-Bit Theatre web comic. I think LegendaryFrog has some stories on here, too. SV and I looked it up, and there's a guy named LegendaryFrog, and his bio sounds exactly like the one from Newgrounds. He hasn't updated anything here for at least 2 years, though. I found out about FF7:AC. They decided to release the movie _after_ 'Before Crisis', a game for cell phones that's a sequel to the game and a prequel to the movie (follow that at all? Good, because I didn't). The game comes out in (I think) September for Japan, so it'll be next year when the movie comes out over here. But good news: Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories for Game Boy Advance comes out either on September 13 (IGN) or November 15 (Gamespot). My holiday was good, thank you. (Learned to ride an ATV!)

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Trance: Yes, he is angry again. No, it's no trick, but he will be less so at the end.

**Zell: **((is eating a two-foot-long hot dog)) And don't forget about her newly added screen name, found on the bio page!

Sephiroth: How many chapters left, anyway?

Me: Let's see… ((ponders)) about four, maybe five.

Sephiroth: Yes! No more wife!

Me: That's what you think…

Sephiroth: What?

Me: Oh, nothing…

**Zell: **((laughs)) I think someone likes you, Sephiroth.

Sephiroth: Don't make me smite you, chicken-wuss.

Zell: Hey! Only Seifer's allowed to call me that!

Me: So much for Final Fantasy character interactions. Guess it's back to the closets for all of you.

All: NO! ((run to tackle me))

**Me: **((hands flame))

All: AH! ((return to closets))

**Me: **((sighs heavily)) Why do I have to fall for wimps all the time?

NINJA MAGE


	9. Time's Up Goodbye

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Chapter 9:

Time's Up. Goodbye.

I stumbled through the woods fairly quickly for someone with only one good leg. As far as I knew, Cloud didn't follow me. It took me hours, but I finally made it out and gazed at Kauko. It was the largest city on the planet, the lights glittering and blinding me. Frantically, I looked around for the portal. I saw nothing, so I hurried to get to the other side of town. I had barely cleared two hundred yards when I turned around to find Cloud stumbling out of the woods. My pulse quickened and adrenaline rushed as I watched him go the opposite direction. He would get to them first; my leg was injured while both his were well. I made haste, praying they were only just around the next turn. I was almost right. I turned to hear voices in the woods a short way off. I hurried through the trees once more, wincing as plants dug into my injured leg.

"Sephiroth, the portal will not last much longer. We need to leave soon if we are to get through and leave Cloud," I heard Vincent saying.

"Yeah," Sephiroth replied. He sighed. "I just don't feel right about leaving without saying goodbye."

"We'll find her and say goodbye for you," Anima promised.

"Good luck," Luben wished. I knew I had little time. I was barely out of the trees when I yelled out.

"Sephiroth, wait!" I cried as loud as I could. I leaned against a tree and moaned in pain. He was inches from the portal when he turned. "I love you."

"Michiko!" Anima called out. My strength had given out and I was fainting on the spot. As I slipped into darkness, I heard quick, thudding footsteps and felt arms wrapping around me. I thought I heard a whisper as I slipped under.

"I love you, too, Michiko."

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"Michiko, can you hear me?"

"Yeah," I moaned. I slowly opened my eyes to find Sephiroth's cloak around me while he sat nearby and held my hand.

"I bandaged your leg."

"Thanks. How's my face?"

"Pretty torn up," Sephiroth told me. "It's still beautiful, though."

"Sephiroth, we have to leave soon," Vincent said, staring down at us.

"I know," Sephiroth muttered. Regret was clearly audible in his voice. I squeezed his hand.

"Go. You belong on your world and I belong here. I want you to go," I sighed. He unwrapped his cloak and slipped it on. Standing slowly, I realized that dawn was just beginning to break.

"I can't leave you," he whispered as he touched my face.

"The night we slept together, you made me a promise," I replied, tears filling my eyes. "You said that you had your own role to play on your world, as I have a role here. You promised that if you missed the portal because of me, you would keep looking for a way home. You said if you missed it for any other reason, you would stay. You've made it to the only way home. You said that if you go through, you'll find a way back here. I want you to fill _that_ promise. I want you to see your home again."

"Michiko," Sephiroth began. Laughing in the woods distracted his thoughts.

"I guess he's missing the portal," Cloud chuckled as he came out of the trees near Anima and Luben. Vincent aimed his pistol.

"Don't come any closer," he hissed. Sephiroth wrapped his arms around me tightly.

"You really want to do it?" Cloud smiled. He stretched his arms out. I could see the dark stains of blood on his hands and chest. His eye was still bleeding. "Take your best shot."

"Don't make me do it," Vincent held the gun ready, but he only stood there.

"You don't have the guts," Cloud smirked. He let his arms fall to his sides with a slap. "I gave you the life you have now. If I hadn't gone after Sephiroth four years ago and taken you out of Nibelheim, you would still be locked down there, all alone in that coffin. You owe me, Vincent."

"I don't owe you a damn thing," Vincent said slowly. Cloud only continued to smile.

"Well, then, I guess this is the end of our friendship. Good bye, Vincent," he grinned. With that, he reached into his pocket, pulled out and struck a match, and threw it to the ground in front of Vincent. As it grew, Cloud taunted us. "Pull that trigger, and the fire will make the powder explode. Guess who will be in the blast?"

Vincent returned the gun to its holster as he backed away. Before I could stop him, Sephiroth was tearing away from me, leaping over the flames, and preparing to fight Cloud.

"Sephiroth, no!" I called, but he didn't reply. He only challenged Cloud. The look on Sephiroth's face reminded me of when he burned Nibelheim.

"I killed you once. Do you honestly think you can beat me this time?" Cloud asked. He drew his sword, wincing at the pain from where my arrow had hit. "I'll be waiting on the other side."

"Get back here!" Sephiroth yelled. Cloud ran around him, out of range of Masamune. By the time Sephiroth caught up, Cloud was standing in front of the portal.

"Well," he smiled as he looked at us. "I guess this is good bye."

"No! Cloud, stop!" Vincent yelled. Cloud stepped backwards into the portal. He stood for a moment in the black hole before it faded with him in it. Sephiroth stared at the place where he had disappeared. We waited several minutes. The portal didn't come back.

"Son. Of. A. BITCH!" He screamed. He jammed Masamune deep into the ground before he sank to his knees. Sephiroth shook angrily. "I was so close to being rid of him."

"Hon," I whispered. I walked over and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I don't know how long we sat there, but I know it felt like forever. I watched Anima pull out her water flask and douse the flames.

"Let's go home," Sephiroth said to me. We stood and the five of us began to leave when Luben cried out.

"Hey, look at that!" he said excitedly. We turned to find a spiral of color swirling right next to where the portal had been. The color faded to black.

"Let's not lose this one," Vincent said. He began walking towards it, but stopped halfway. "Sephiroth, are you coming?"

"Yeah," he replied quietly after a moment's hesitation. He had laid his hand on my shoulder, but now he let go. Without turning to me, he whispered, "Thank you for everything, Michiko." He shut his eyes tightly, and said in a shuddering voice, "Good bye."

"Sephiroth," I whispered as he began walking quickly to the portal. I followed only a couple of steps when he stopped and snapped at me.

"_Don't_ follow me."

I watched him approach Vincent. They walked to the portal and I turned away. At what I thought was the last minute, I turned back around and called again.

"Sephiroth!" I ran to him. At the same moment, he called my name and ran to me.

We met halfway across the field. We wrapped our arms around each other and I sobbed into his leather cloak, his tears falling onto my head. Sephiroth laid a hand on my cheek and we kissed once more. We stood like that for minutes. It was the most memorable kiss I've ever been given. We slowly parted and stared at each other. He held me close to his heart for the last time, his hand gently stroking the back of my head.

"I love you, Michiko."

"And I love you, Sephiroth."

With that, he pulled away and grasped my hand. He walked slowly towards the portal, and didn't let go until he was too far away to hold on to me. When only our fingers were touching, he began walking even slower. He turned away and stopped when he reached Vincent.

"You ready?" Vincent asked.

"Yeah," Sephiroth nodded with regret. He did the last thing Anima, Luben, or I (or Vincent, for that matter) expected him to do. He grasped Vincent's normal hand. "Don't let go."

Vincent was taken aback, but he nodded before they both took deep, calming breaths and stepped through the portal. I struggled to hold back tears as they turned back around. Sephiroth's eyes met mine and we stared. He reached up with his free hand to wave and realized that a film had formed on the portal. He laid his hand against it. Sephiroth smiled softly as the portal began to close. The last things to disappear were Sephiroth's eyes. I'll never forget the single, silent tear that fell as I looked at them for the last time. With that last show of emotion, Vincent and Sephiroth were gone.

"Good bye," I whispered. The next moment, I was on my knees and sobbing uncontrollably. I didn't know right then that Sephiroth and Vincent had been released almost the minute they left. Right then, Sephiroth, too, was on his knees in tears.

But this is not the end of our story.

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Me: That's right! He's gone, but the story ain't over yet! Another two chapters, maybe.

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Soul Vagabond: Read KH to get Seymour. No, I'm not gonna have a chapter about Cloud going mad. Although… never mind. You'll find out in the last chapter if I didn't tell you already.

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Mediciner: How true. Actually, I went on the EB Games website today to see if COM was coming out this month, and they said it ships out to stores on December 7. Who spelled his name wrong?

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Kizna1200: Sorry, Cloud's not gonna get smited. Smote. Whatever. But he is scarred for life! Literally!

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Anothersephirothfan: Thank you for reading. I'm sorry you didn't start until now- it's pretty much over. Or is this just the first time you've chosen to review? Anyway, thanks a bunch.

NINJA MAGE


	10. Ending Theme

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Chapter 10-1:

Ending Theme

After Sephiroth left, I was an empty shell. I had sat on the ground sobbing in front of the portal for over an hour. Anima and Luben eventually had to carry me away. When I returned home, the smell of decaying Xenos was overwhelming. With great difficulty, I burned the body and spent a week cleaning the blood away. The headlines appeared the day we returned home: **_Mysterious Black-Caped Man Flies Town to Town: Authorities Stumped_**; **_Man With Fake Arm Sets Five Towns Ablaze: Said to be Responsible for Kauko Forest Fire_**; **_Apprehended or Dead?: No Sign of Red-or-Black-Caped Men._** I clipped every article, including a very horrid artist's rendition of Sephiroth, and pasted them into a scrapbook.

I returned to work and acted as if nothing had happened. My boss gave me a raise upon my return, and a week later, I was given a promotion. Everything was back to normal, sans Therapon. Everything should have been fine.

But each night was more sleepless than the one before. I longed achingly for the warmth of his body and the sound of his heart. I found myself waking in the middle of the night for seemingly no reason and bursting into tears. Each night, I tried to remember what Sephiroth told me that night in the cave: _I'll always be there with you… When you're lonely, listen to the night wind for my voice…Remember my heartbeat when you long for me… Give you strength if you ask… Eyes will always be watching you… I promise._

It didn't help. No matter what or how hard I tried, _nothing_ helped. His memory was fading, something I had prayed since the beginning would not happen. I no longer enjoyed playing the videogame. I had ultimately been part of the last chapter of that story. Everything in it was so wrong. About Sephiroth, Cloud, everybody. Anima and Luben tried their best to make me feel better. Anima sketched pictures of Sephiroth since I had only the one from the game. Luben called almost everyday to tell me some stupid joke he had heard earlier. I finally had to tell them to lay off when he began repeating himself. I didn't want to be cheered up. I wanted him. Nothing was going to change that.

"We miss him, too, you know," Anima pointed out a week after I received the promotion. I only looked at her sadly.

"But you didn't get as close to him as I did."

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NINJAMAGEGAMAJNIN

A few nights later, I had an odd dream. I was standing in a meadow. It was full of the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen. I stared around before I realized that I was not alone. Someone was standing back-to-back with me. Sephiroth was turning to face me, his hand outstretched. I took it as he began speaking to me.

"My love, you must listen to me. I have been allowed to pull your soul into the Lifestream for only a few minutes. I have left the physical world. I can never return to you. I'm so sorry," he whispered, pulling me closer. "I want you to take my ring. Keep a hold of it and give it to her when she is fifteen."

I tried to speak at this point, but he laid a hand on my lips.

"You cannot speak, so do not attempt it." He then slipped off his ring, took my hand, and slipped it onto my finger.

"I don't care if she is given to another family or an orphanage. All I ask is that if she is, leave a letter that is to be opened no earlier than her fourteenth birthday. She is to arrive at your house on the day she turns fifteen. Then, you will explain everything. This is my last request. I love you, Michiko. I always will. I will be here, waiting for you. Now you must leave. I wish you didn't have to," he said quietly. He wrapped his arms around me tightly, a few tears dripping down both our faces. He kissed me softly, nothing like the way he had the morning he left. He held me close to his heart. "Close your eyes…"

As I did, the feeling of his arms and smell of his leather coat faded slowly. Seconds later, I opened my eyes to find myself back in my bed. I had only been sleeping for about an hour. When I looked at my hand, there were two wedding bands. Without questioning how it happened, I took Sephiroth's ring off, went into my jewelry case, and found a small, velvet one. I carefully slipped the ring into it and put it into a velvet bag. I found my small safe, opened it, and laid the ring there. While I was thinking about it, I wrote down what Sephiroth told me to do and gathered the scrapbook and everything else that reminded me of him. I put everything into the safe and locked it. I wrote down the combination and hid that, as well. As I lay in bed, it dawned on me: Who was the 'she' that Sephiroth was talking about? I didn't find out for sure until about six months had gone by.

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All I remembered was excruciating pain. I had been talking to Anima and Luben when a sharp pain hit and I doubled over. I heard them yelling as I slipped into unconsciousness. When I woke up I-don't-know-how-much-later, I was disoriented. When I realized that I was awake, I was afraid to open my eyes for fear of the pain returning. I opened them anyway.

Everything around me was brilliantly white. I turned my head slightly to see a man staring out the window to my right. My vision was blurred, so I couldn't tell who it was. I said the first name that popped into my head.

"Is that you, Sephiroth?" I whispered. I tried to lift my head, but my entire body felt like it was made of lead.

"No," the man replied. I knew that voice, but for some reason, I couldn't place it. He turned towards me and I finally saw his left hand: it was made of metal. Cloud. A slight rush of panic hitting, I managed to lift my hand to my eyes to rub them clear. The man I assumed to be Cloud sat next to me, took my hand, put it to rest on my chest, and wiped my eyes with a wet cloth. "Stop. This will work better."

"Vincent?" I muttered when my eyes were clear. He nodded. "You cut your hair."

"It was starting to be a bitch," he smiled. It was now roughly the length it had been when he was part of the Turks. "Do you feel okay?"

"I will in a few minutes. Vincent," I said, a knowing ache building in my heart. I didn't have to ask, for he lowered his eyes knowingly, but I asked anyway. "Where's Sephiroth?"

"I'm sorry, Michiko. He's gone."

"How?"

"When we were thrown out of the portal, he had changed slightly. For some reason, he had one wing, and red on his coat and gloves. He fell to the ground the moment we arrived. I put my arm around him, gave him a shoulder to cry on, you know? When he calmed down, we realized that we hadn't been sent home, after all. We were in some sort of coliseum. This short half-goat, half-man ran it. Sephiroth challenged everyone in the coliseum. No one could defeat him. One day, a teenager (his name escapes me, now) came to challenge him. The boy used a giant key as a sword. Sephiroth beat him, but the kid kept coming back. Sephiroth finally lost."

"So a teenage brat killed him?"

"No. These fights weren't fought to the death. At least, not until Cloud showed up later that night. He came into the stadium while Sephiroth and I sat talking on the edge on top of the wall. Sephiroth reminded me of the promise I made. Upon arriving at that place, Sephiroth was also able to teleport. He did so then. When he did, the wind blew a feather from his wing down to Cloud. Cloud watched it and as it landed, Sephiroth, too, hit the ground softly. They stared for a few minutes before Cloud said, 'So we finally meet again…' to which Sephiroth replied, 'I was searching for you, too.' Cloud was getting impatient. He snapped, 'As long as you exist, I can't wake from this nightmare. You are my darkness.' Sephiroth, being his overconfident self, scoffed. 'If that's so, I will draw you into the darkness. Into the nightmare that forever deprives you of light, from which you can never awaken.' At this point, Cloud drew his sword, and Sephiroth reached for his. Electricity that generated from their power was crackling around them. They charged at the same time, and there was a terrible ringing noise as the blades clashed. They twisted, blocked, and attacked so quickly, I could barely tell who was where. They pulled apart for a second, and I knew then that Sephiroth would lose. He gripped his side and looked like he was in quite a bit of pain. They clashed for a few more minutes before Sephiroth teleported into the air. He offered his hand to Cloud and smiled. With that, they charged and clashed once more. The force was too great. Cloud threw him back and while Sephiroth was on his back, Cloud…" Vincent hesitated, not knowing whether to go on or not.

"Don't stop," I whispered sadly. I knew what was coming. The tears had begun to form before he even started.

"Cloud threw his sword to the side, took out a dagger, and stabbed Sephiroth, but not quite to death. No, Cloud wanted him to suffer a slow and painful one. As Sephiroth laid on the ground, Cloud just grinned. He smiled in such a way… I can't even describe it. The hate in his eyes and triumph in that smile…" Vincent shivered at the memory. "He didn't even wait for Sephiroth to die. Cloud kicked him hard a few times. Sephiroth screamed in pain with each strike. If Cloud hadn't sworn to kill me, too, I would have gone to help, but I had no one to fulfill my promise if anything happened to me. Then he left. I hurried down and held Sephiroth. 'You promised,' he reminded me one more time. I told him that he didn't have to worry. With his last breath, he told me that I'd better take care of you, or else he'd send Meteor to smite me. He told me to make sure you know that he loved you and always will. Then he died in my arms," he said quietly. I thought I saw a few tears in his eyes, but as my own were blurring, I couldn't be sure. I began crying. Vincent hugged me. "I'm so sorry."

"No…" I gasped several times. My sobbing had become uncontrollable. After a few minutes, my tears were gone. Vincent and I only looked at each other for a moment.

"Do you remember what happened yesterday?"

"Yesterday?" I furrowed my brow.

"Yeah, it's only been one day. I got here while they were operating. Anima said you were at her house when you screamed and fainted. They wanted to make sure you didn't hurt the little one."

"May I see him?"

"Sorry, no," Vincent shook his head. He then smiled. "You can't see _him_, but you can see _her_."

"A daughter?" I gasped happily. Vincent suddenly became grave.

"But you may not want to get too attached. Did you feel any pain before you blacked out?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Well, that's because you were going into premature labor. They had to operate to get her out, and…" Vincent sighed. "The truth is, the doctors aren't giving you much hope that your daughter will live for very long. They have her in one of those incubators. You'll have to go there to see her."

"This can't be happening. I lost my husband. I don't want to lose our daughter," I shook my head as new tears formed. Vincent laid a hand on my shoulder.

"Let's go see her. I think all she needs is her mother to hold her."

A few minutes later, Vincent was helping me walk to the room in which my daughter was sleeping. The nurse handed her to me carefully. We looked into that tiny face, a softness in Vincent's face that I never would have imagined.

"She's pretty," he whispered after a long silence. I didn't reply.

This was who Sephiroth was talking about. He knew that I was pregnant, and he knew that it would be a girl. This thought coming into my head, and the thought that I would be unable to fulfill his last wish, I began crying again. I merely kissed my child and, my head against hers, cried.

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Me: ((sniffle)) Yeah, only one chapter left. It'll be really short, and written in a slightly different style than the rest of the story. My one disclaimer is the title. The title is from the last instrumental piece in Final Fantasy X.

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Sora/Riku/Kairi: HEY!!!

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Me: ((grins embarrassedly)) Oh, right. Sorry guys. I have one other disclaimer. The way Sephiroth died was in the Showdown of Fate, an event on the Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix game. Damn Square-Enix for only releasing it in Japan… ((pouts))

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Vincent: ((is grinning broadly while bragging to Cloud)) I get my own game! I get my own game! I get my own game! I get my own game! I get my own game! I get-

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Cloud: ((scowls while Vinny continues in background))

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Me: Yeah, he's been really happy about the new FF7 game lately. Rpgamer, Gamespot, and Ign all have articles on it. And 'eyesonff' has the first trailer for it as shown at Tokyo Game Show. Or you can go to 'google' and type in 'Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII.' I'm SO excited about it. ((glances at Vincent)) I'm obviously not alone…

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Vincent: ((comes over and starts with me)) Guess what? I get my own game!

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Me: LEAVE ME ALONE! I KNOW! I'M THE ONE THAT TOLD YOU, REMEMBER???

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Vincent: ((calms down and thinks)) Oh. ((laughs)) Right. I knew that!

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Me: ((sweat drop)) Um… yeah. Ahem. ONWARDS!

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Trance: No, but Chapter 10-2 is. I'm thinking of writing a sequel, but I haven't made up my mind. Still need to think of a plot for one… And thanks for reading my song-fic! ((bows graciously))

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Soul Vagabond: No, I don't think it was overdone. All good romance goodbyes are a bit overdone. Or were you being sarcastic? I couldn't really tell. Thanks again for reading my song-fic. How could it be better? Other than the Vinny-Sephy-Hojo all being roommates and the length?

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Kadaj: ((hands model of his sword to SV)) Get well soon!

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Me: … What's with the sword?

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Kadaj: Well, ((shrugs)) she likes swords.

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Me: ………… Moving on…

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Mediciner: Well, was this fast enough for you?

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Me: KH: The Final Destiny will be up ASAP; I just figured I'd go ahead and update early.

NINJA MAGE


	11. Sneak Peek

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TEASER:

FINAL FANTASY VII: ANGEL'S CHILD

She stands on the hill overlooking the ruined city of Midgar. In front, the city itself. Behind her, a large tombstone with a sculpture of Meteor on top. Her father's final resting place. She holds in her hand a grand sword, just given to her by her father. Turning from the city, she looks at the lifeless body of her protector. His gauntlet lay next to him as blood drips from his arm and forehead. She remembers him telling her that until his gauntlet is removed from his body, he cannot die. Only a few minutes ago, the red-caped man had come looking for her, only to meet the lover of her father's murderer. They had fought. The woman used a dagger to remove the gauntlet, shooting him in the head just after. The woman left without searching for the child. They will meet again, the girl knows. She remembers what her guardian said before being shot. He said something to the woman, something he had read in a book about her dad:

Created by man,

To be killed by another.

Before death he comes,

Makes a woman a mother.

A daughter she'll be,

Someday caught in a great bind.

With faith in her heart,

Inner strength she soon will find.

Born on a new world,

Father's friend take home and guard.

Enemies she'll make,

But all efforts will be marred.

Two choices she has,

One to leave dad dead and weak.

Two makes her a bane,

Father's vengeance she will seek.

With a pang of both regret and hope, she makes her decision. She will track down and kill those who murdered her unknown father. She approaches the corpse and as she lifts her friend's body to bury it, she says a silent prayer. She does not realize that with the vow she has just made, she has just become part of the largest fight for control of the planet. Larger, even, than the fight her father was a part of. A fight that, in the event of her loss, the world will fall to darkness. If she wins, she will have the choice to turn the world to darkness or rule with peace. Should she win, she will have the power to, at any time, bring back from the dead any one person she chooses.

Including her father…


	12. For the Love of an Angel is Lost

**NM: **Okay, this is it. As of November 12, 2004, this is the last chapter. As in, the end. As in, no more. As in-

**Vincent: **Get on with it!

**NM: **Geez, you're grumpy.

**Vincent: **((skulks off))

**NM: **Anyway, I hope you all will read this chapter nice and slow. But I do promise this: There will be a sequel! I hope you all enjoyed my sneek peek chapter posted just before this one. I have the beginning mapped out so to speak, so expect it within the next month.

**Kadaj:** A month? Are you _that_ lazy?

**NM:** ((moan)) Can I help it if high school is a lot of work? Oh, yeah… You didn't have to go to one.

**Kadaj:** ((sticks out tongue)) NYAH!

**NM:** GO AWAY! ((calms)) Anyway, I will put up the sequel as soon as I can.

**Sephiroth:** ((enters)) Aren't you forgetting something?

**NM:** ((thinks)) Oh, yeah!

**Soul Vagabond:** Yes, it is getting repetitive.

**Kadaj:** Sorry, but I like my sword. You're welcome, though, and I'm glad you feel better.

**NM:** Hey, whose author notes are these, anyway? (I'm glad, too, by the way, and I hope this and the peek make having to go to school today better)

**Kadaj:** Sorry…

**Master of the Dark Trio:** Thank you very much. I am SO sorry I haven't read your fics yet. I will as soon as I have mega-free-time (If I read a fanfic, I like to read it in one sitting if possible so I don't forget anything!).

**Trance: **Actually, it was early in the seventh month. That's awesome about the twins. As I said above and in the chapter before this, there WILL be a sequel.

**LadyKadaj: **Yeah, it was a little mushy, but did you notice what the genres were? 'Action/Adventure' and 'romance.' Anyway, thank you for the feedback. ((glances around)) By the way, I don't like Cloud or Barret that much, either. As for the eye, Cloud got (I think it's called) a bionic one before battling Seph. I thought Vince was already a hero, or at least a good guy… Don't say ANYTHING! I just got him in my party, so I don't want to know ANYTHING about him. Other than what Soul Vagabond let slip and what I've accidentally stumbled across online ((grins)).

**NM:** Thank you all so much for being there through this story, and I hope you enjoy the final chapter of _For the Love of an Angel_.

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Chapter 10-2:

For the Love of an Angel is Lost

4:47 p.m.

**Me:** We stood like that for a long time. Vincent finally took me back to my room. I don't know-

**I pause as I lie in bed, coughing violently. Vincent stands against the wall, watching and listening silently. Anima and Luben stand in the doorway. A fifteen-year-old girl with skin as pale as Vincent's when he was locked away in Nibelheim sits in a chair next to me. The girl has short, silver hair with black bangs. Between her shoulder blades she has two wings tattooed, the left one white, the right black. She wears a grey tank top that exposes her midriff and very large black cargo pants being held up with a silver-studded belt. Her hands are covered with gloves that have the fingers cut off, and black leather bracers cover half the length of her lower arms. A long, black leather trench coat lies across the back of the chair. Her odd looking eyes are grey, but her pupils are slits, similar to a cat's eyes. She gets up from the chair and sits next to me. As she stands, her pant legs lift slightly to reveal black leather, steel-toed boots. She swallows nervously, making the studded collar around her neck move slightly. I calm down and take a drink of water before speaking again. I have been talking for nearly five hours with no rest.**

4:48 p.m.

**Me:** As I was saying, I don't know how, but the baby lived. I was finally allowed to bring her home about two weeks after her birth. I kept her here for a few months while I decided what to do. After a lot of thought, Vincent and I finally took a trip to leave her at the orphanage in the town where I last saw her father.

**Kali: **Kauko.

**Me: ((nod))** Yes. I wrote a letter shortly before we left, and explained to the director that if she was adopted, she was to take the letter with her.

**Kali: **But I never was.

**Me: **No, my child. You weren't. It's just as well. I would rather your history be kept between the five of us standing here than a strange family.

4:49 p.m.

**Kali: **I always felt like I was different, but I thought it was because I'm such a Goth** ((chuckles slightly)) **and obsessed with learning all I can about the mysteries of death and darkness. **((lowers eyes)) **Now I know how different I really am..

**Me: ((holds Kali's hand))** You are, Kali. You are so different from anyone else in the world.

**Kali:** My father… is there no way for me to see him without dying?

**Me: ((shakes head))** No. Not until you die, which won't be for a long time. Until then, you have to wait for him to visit you in a dream. I hope he doesn't. None of his visits to me ended happily. Although the first visit was to tell me that you were coming, so I guess that wasn't that bad.

**Kali: ((nods))**

4:50 p.m.

**Me:** Over the past fifteen years, I've come so close to going back for you. At the same time, I was so afraid that you had been adopted and I would be unable to have you back, or you would be unhappy with me for leaving you.

**Vincent: ((glances at clock and walks over to me)) **Michiko, it's almost time.

**Me:** I know. I only have a few more things to say.

4:51 p.m.

**Kali: ((looks from Vincent to me))** What's going on?

**Me:** You remember that I told you about when Sephiroth visited me in a dream six months before your birth? He pulled me to the Lifestream again two weeks ago. He told me that I would soon become very ill, and would die at exactly five o'clock on the evening of your fifteenth birthday. My illness struck three days after I last saw him. It's four fifty-one p.m. now.

**Kali: ((jaw drops))** No! I only just met you!

4:52 p.m.

**Me: ((nod)) **We did just meet each other. But there is a reason for this. I'm not sure what, but I suppose you will find out someday.

**Silence follows. Anima and Luben don't look right at me when they finally speak.**

4:53 p.m.

**Anima:** Michiko, why didn't you tell us?

**Me: **I didn't want you to worry. I have only six minutes now.

4:54 p.m.

**Kali: ((tears in eyes))** What's going to happen to me? I was hoping to live with you from now on.

**Luben: **We'll look after you.

**Me: **No. I have already made arrangements.

4:55 p.m.

**Vincent: **I'll take care of you. **((glances at gauntlet)) **I'll be around for a long while.** ((looks at Anima and Luben)) **You won't be. Another thirty or forty years for you two, eternity for me.** ((looks at Kali)) **There's no telling how long you're going to need somebody.

**Silence.**

4:56 p.m.

**Me: ((breathy voice)) **Vincent, you know the safe combination. Bring everything to me, please.

**Vincent: ((nods and leaves the room))**

4:57 p.m.

**Vincent: ((returns with Sephiroth mementos and hands them to me)) **Here you are.

**Me:** Thank you. Kali, among these items are portraits that Anima drew, the game that introduced me to your father, newspaper articles from when he was here, and his ring from when we were wed. I want you to have all of this. When I'm gone, I want you to take my ring, too.

Kali: ((slides ring on thumb))

4:58 p.m.

**Vincent: **Michiko-

**Me:** I know. Vincent, take her out of the room. I don't want her to watch me die.

**Vincent: **Of course. I understand.** ((lays a hand on Kali's arm)) **

**Kali: ((shakes Vincent's hand off)) **No. I don't want to leave you.

4:59 p.m.

**Me: **Kali, please leave. I don't want you to see this.

**Kali: ((hugs me))** I want to stay.

**Me: ((hug back))** If you think you can handle it…

**Kali: ((nods))**

**Me: ((look around room))** I'm going to miss all of you deeply. I love you all.

4:59:50 p.m.

I close my eyes. The last image I'm going to see is the face of Kali and I'll seek some solace in knowing that our daughter now knows what I did for the love of an angel.

4:59:59 p.m.


End file.
